Career As A Forensic Investigator

¨Mr. Green committed murder in the pub with a bottle¨. If you like to solve mysteries, then you might find this sentence familiar. I always liked to play the game Clue because I get to solve mysteries. I want to be able to use my talent of solving mysteries in a career, and becoming a forensic scientist seems to be the perfect choice. After researching important information , such as the work environment skills required, the level of education needed, the salary and job outlook, I find myself to be highly qualified for an upcoming career in forensic science.

When people usually hear the word forensics they usually automatically visualize crime scenes filled with things that can vary from blood, bullets, fingerprints ect. Unfortunately, it is not as cut and dry as you think, you're only seeing a small piece of the picture. The subject of forensics itself is very broad and actually involves a variety of different sciences all mixed together including, biology, chemistry, genetics, toxicology, phonetics, medicine, engineering, anthropology and many more. It is one of the fields of law enforcement, were technology and crime-solving all come together as one. Gathering the information needed to figure out what happened and the methods used to connect pieces of evidence to the crime scene were also not

A forensic scientist can collect and analyze data from crime scenes, and train other law enforcement individuals. Forensic scientists can work in the lab, go out and collect data, or teach at colleges and universities.

As human overpopulation increases, there will be a lack of resources and basic necessities that will become scarcer elevating crime rates. The broad field of forensics has numerous jobs that specialize in a specific duty. It provides and analyzes evidence in laboratories or offices that helps both state and local police departments solve crimes. As technology advances it also aids in the advancement of forensics. Forensic Science Technicians are required to have a variety of distinctive skills to assist in criminal investigations.

The role of a Forensic technician varies in many different directions and the process for each evidence material is a huge part in the criminal justice system. What Forensic Technicians do is the base and a huge impact on everyone else’s job, including the investigator and the labs. Forensic technicians analyze, collect data and preserve the evidence found at the scene, whether its bloods, hair, clothing etc. Forensic science technicians help investigators untangle the circumstances surrounding a crime, accident or other unexplained incident. Forensic technicians scour the scene for evidence suggesting a possible suspect, murder weapon or cause of death, they report their findings to the detectives in charge of an investigation and also perform

CSI jobs typically call for a bachelor’s degree, along with some work experience. Some employers prefer candidates to have a master’s degree. Experience may be acquired through internships, law enforcement work or military service. Certain positions may require a background in biology, chemistry or forensics.

The career that I researched was forensic pathology. The job of a pathologist is to determine a person’s cause of death by examining tissues and fluids from the body. A forensic pathologist does this as well, but they are trained to examine people who died unexpectedly or violently and to recognize other things that a regular pathologist might not, such as recognizing something as intentional rather than accidental. They have to determine who the person is, the time of death, the manner of death, and if it was accidental, the instruments which caused the death.

However, because it is a small occupation, the fast growth will result in only about 3,800 new jobs over the 10-year period.” (“Forensic Science Technicians,” 2017)

If someone was interested in pursuing a career in forensics they would need a strong stomach or hardy exterior. The scenes can be gruesome and this job isn’t for everybody. Also work environment involves visiting morgues with hundreds of dead bodies. A quality that is needed in this field is composure. Things do tend to happen so forensics and other technicians have to refrain themselves and get the job done. Critical thinking and problems solving skills are very important when solving cases that deal with quick decision making and the need of good judgment. Every analyst needs to be detail oriented because they need to notice the small things in order to collect good data. Requirements for this field of work consist of having a bachelor’s degree. Math, chemistry, biology and physics are important courses to take when studying for criminal justice. Other requirements can include a number of hours in seminars and workshops. Moderate terms of on job training can refine an individual’s skills giving them a better and wider range in the field.

Forensic science programs may specialize in a specific area of study, such as toxicology, pathology, or DNA. Students who attend general natural science programs should make an effort to take classes related to forensic science. On-the-job training generally is required for both those who investigate crime scenes and those who work in labs. New investigators often learn proper procedures and methods for collecting and documenting evidence while working under supervision. Forensic science technicians learn laboratory specialties on the job.

In the TV shows that popularized forensic science – so much so that it has become one of the most sought after majors by undergraduate college students – the fictionalized lab technicians are well trained and engage in exciting work helping to solve crimes. In real life, however, the technicians are not always well trained, they may frequently be overworked, they are usually underpaid, and they constantly battle an overload of evidence that needs to be analyzed. Furthermore, the scientific techniques they use may not be science at all.

The role of a forensic technician in processing a crime scene is very important. Not only are they responsible for gathering, collecting and preserving all the evidence found at a crime scene, they must also follow a very important set of steps in order to make sure that all evidence has been collected properly, labeled and that all the paperwork that follows has all the correct information needed. Let us take a look at a case that involved several different crime scenes. The case is that of the death of 7 year old Danielle Van Dam. This

If you want to be a forensic scientist you will need to have certain skills like an inquiring mind, a logical and analytical approach, patience and concentration, highly developed observation and scientific skills and many more. If you want to be a forensic technician you will have to have a complete understanding of the role of forensic science within the law, processing crime scenes, critical

Forensic specialists, crime scene investigator and/or evidence technician, law enforcement, and medical examiners who have extensive training and experience in

Have you ever wondered how police officers know who to arrest for a crime? Well in order to catch criminals, evidence and witnesses must be gathered. Those who perform these tasks are known as detectives. Detectives are also known as criminal investigators. I have always liked solving mysteries and, that is exactly what detectives or criminal investigators do. I was inspired to pursue this career by the television series “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”. I watch this series a lot and, the show gave me a televised perception of what the career might be like. There are many risks when considering becoming a detective. However, the benefits and end results outweigh the risks and disadvantages of becoming a detective.