Crime Scene Investigation

Homicide detectives require a lot of training, but this career also requires a bit of schooling. In order to be a homicide detective a person must have a high school diploma. After that their is a requirement of three years as a patrol officer. To become a police officer there is also the police academy training. From there they would have to work up and then have a commanding officer put in a request to be put on the homicide division. Although homicide detective is a career, it is not a guaranteed job.

Its imperative to understand that crime scene investigation and forensic science are both similar fields of study. Both of these careers require a criminal justice degree and solely focus on the aftermath of a crime. The ultimate objective of both is to gather and analyze evidence to solve a crime. Each of these professions playing an integral role in the flow of analysis in the criminal justice system. By working together, an CSI examine the location and gather evidence at the scene and bring the evidence back to a forensic scientist to analyze. They both utilize the scientific and

Since the time that the scientific science dramatization "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" turned into a tremendous hit and generated its fans, reporters have been worried about what they instituted the "CSI Effect." The hypothesis behind the effect is that fans of the well-known show disguise misguided judgments about the law that they bring with them into the court as jurors. In this way, the trepidation is that the TV show is at last influencing the results of trials - and not in a great manner. Criminal justice researchers have started to study the inquiry of whether nationals who are called to serve on juries bring unreasonable desires and convictions to the court as a consequence of TV projects. The impact that these projects may have on the jurors, their desires, and their choices is known as the CSI effect.

When you see the shows such as Homicide Hunter or Killer Instincts many times my mom and I try to figure out who is the murder. Most of the time my prediction is right because of the details my mom misses, and putting together all the clues. From then on I realised I had a gift, even if it was I was just watching television show. That is what sparked my interest the criminal justice area. I have contemplated the career choices that would best fit my interest leaving me with Homicide Detective and Criminologist. While both careers deal with criminal justice they differ greatly in the type of work environment, pay, skills/education.

According to FBI.gov, 1,165,383 violent crimes were reported in 2014, and 1.2% of the crimes are defined as murders. While that may seem like a small number, the same 1.2% included the 1,697 murders which took place in the state of California (United States). The murders would then have to be solved by homicide detectives, and depending on the state where the investigators work they may have to deal with murder everyday. The detectives solve the murders to bring justice to the victims and the victim's family and friends. While being a homicide investigator, one has to learn many basic concepts such as understanding the psychopaths mindset, the concept of thinking outside the box, dealing with serial killers and figuring out which style of interrogation

The training needed to be a forensic scientist is either a bachelor's in forensic science or in a natural science. This means that a normal police officer would not be qualified to act as a forensic scientist unless he had one of those degrees, and that would mean someone fresh out of the academy wouldn’t qualify unless he had one of those degrees.

Students that major in forensic science should ensure that their program includes extensive course work in mathematics, chemistry, and biology. Many of those who want to become a forensic science technician will have an undergraduate degree in the natural sciences and a master’s degree in forensic science. Many Crime Scene Investigators are sworn police officers and have met educational requirements necessary for admittance into what is called a police academy. Applicants for no uniform crime scene investigator jobs should have a bachelor’s degree in either forensic science, with a strong basic science background, or the natural sciences, but many rural agencies hire applicants with high school diploma and years of related work experience. Some important qualifications for this job are communication skills, composure, critical-thinking skills, detail oriented, math and science skills, and problem-solving skills. The reason a forensic science technician needs communication skills is because they write reports and testify in court, and they often work with other law enforcement and specialists. The reason forensic science technician’s needs composure is because crime scenes are often the results of acts of violence and destruction, but technicians have to maintain their professionalism and objectivity. The reason they need critical-thinking skills is because they use their best

In this video Correspondent LOWELL BERGMAN questions the scientific validity of forensic science. He also expresses that it is not as simple as it appears on television shows. Detective. Joanna Grivetti who is a crime scene investigator in Richmond, California explains that the real life CSI is getting dirty, smelling things you don’t want to smell, seeing things you don’t want to see and dealing with blood in order to collect evidence that may seem small at the time, but will ultimately (possibly) be a big deal in solving the case.

The reason why is because that helps me go back and analyze what happened. I also like investigating: I like to think beyond the things that actually happened. This will really help me in becoming a crime scene investigator because you have to record everything you see and you have to collect evidence. You have to think beyond what you see because you have to try to find the person that did it. The entry level salary range of $30,000- $40,000 depending on the agency. To be honest I don’t really look at it for the money, this is something that I want to do, it what I like. (Goodman, & Grimming, 2007)

Technicians are often employed by local and state police departments and work in laboratories. Their primary duties are to aid in criminal investigations by collecting and analyzing evidence by means of laboratory testing. Forensic science technicians commonly analyze DNA samples or any chemical substances acquired from crime scenes to determine connections between victims and suspects of crimes (“Forensic Science Technician,” n.d.). Technicians work many hours in a laboratory settings performing biological and chemical tests under the supervision of forensic scientists and lab managers. Aside from laboratory duties, technicians sometimes participate in field work, meaning they visit crime scenes to assist in collecting evidence, photographing, and recording findings. Other responsibilities of technicians include testifying and presenting evidence in criminal court cases (“What is a Forensic,”

They move up in levels. You will start off as a trainee, then after one year they are promoted to a Forensic Scientist I. After constant work and dedication they can move up to a Forensic Scientist II tier. The Forensic Scientist III tier is reserved for experts in the field and supervisors. The technician can gradually work their way up the scale to managerial roles. Forensic Manager I has the duty of overseeing operations at regional or state forensic labs also known as the deputy director. A Forensic Manager II serves as the director over the whole state’s forensic labs. This position means you will be in control of quality assurance, training new technicians or assigning who will train them, consulting with other labs, setting organization goals and establishing protocols, policies and procedures. All budgets and financial matters will also automatically fall into your hands. The last promotion you can get is being promoted to a teaching position at a college or university. To get this promotion you must have a Ph.D in natural science and extensive hands on training, many of these universities prefer candidates with a significant scholarly history, such as conducting experiments and authoring journal articles. The task of being a forensic science professor has a lot of duties along with it. The professor must not only teach, but be a mentor, develop criteria and participate in

Growing up I would see police cars drive pass my house almost every single day. Seeing the police officers in action sparked my interest in criminal justice, especially the Forensic Science aspect. I remember the day I began to do research into the field I Immediately fell in love with everything they did. From collecting evidence left at crime scenes to performing scientific analysis in laboratories. Ever since that day my goal has been to become a Forensic Science Technician. When I got to high school I applied for a criminal justice tech program that would allow me to learn more about the field. That class soon became my favorite I loved everything about it. From doing mock trials to crime scene investigation. While in the tech program I

When a crime has been reported, the responding officer and/or detective have to note the dispatch information such as address/location, time, date, type of call, parties involved. The officer(s)/detective(s) have to be observant when approaching, entering and exiting a crime scene such as look, listen and smell.

Crime scene investigation and medical examiner television shows are always interesting and exciting to watch, but what happens when you make the contents of that television show your life? Often times, the one you see doing the investigating with not only the body at the scene, but also inspecting the body of the victim in their exam room is called the Forensic Pathologist. A Forensic Pathologist is often called to the scenes where a death has occurred so that they can legally gather information and observations so that they can proceed with the investigation. For example, they will try to find the time of death. It is very important that the forensic pathologist be contacted very early on in the investigation, due to the amount of evidence that needs to be overlooked. Forensic pathologists are educated as physicians, and are also licensed for the practice of medicine. Regional tests are given, which means that if you decide to move at any time after taking the regional test, you will be required to take it again if you move to a new state. Autopsies are a daily occurrence, and the goal of the forensic pathologist is to recreate the series of events that led up to the death of the victim.

It is a long process when becoming a detective. In college, classes such as: English, American history, business law, government, psychology, sociology, chemistry, and physics are suggested. Before becoming a detective, one must attend a law enforcement academy, providing the officer with a foundation of education with sixteen to twenty-four college units in criminal justice or administration of criminal justice. (Morkes 677) After graduation from the law enforcement academy the officer undergoes job training with a field training officer for a period specified by the law enforcement agency and continues to work while on a probationary period, ranging from one to two years.