The 3 Things You Must Do or Know Before Becoming a Crime Scene Investigator

There are many people who dream of becoming crime scene investigators (CSI). Who can blame them? This job can be fun. If you don't believe me, just watch the television show, CSI: Miami.

But reality can be different. The role played by crime scene investigators on TV can be different from real life. This is why some things need to be set straight about the CSI career. This article will address the 3 things all aspiring crime scene investigators must know before they become one.

1. Those aspiring to be crime scene investigators must know that not all law enforcement agencies will hire a civilian CSI. There are various reasons for this.

One of the reasons is that the agency may not be big enough to dedicate a person to doing this job. So what these types of agencies do is have a police officer to play the role of CSI. This way, the officer can be doing other things when he or she is not collecting crime scene evidence.

Another reason is that the budget is just not there to support the position of a CSI. Like everything else in life, money is also an issue for law enforcement agencies. They have budgets and limited resources they have to live under. What these law enforcement agencies do when there is a crime is request for the help of a CSI from other friendly law enforcement agencies. This way, they save the cost of having a CSI on staff.

2. A CSI must be available to work 24/7. Crime has no appointed time. It can happen any minute or hour of the day. It does not know the weekend.

So, somebody who wants to work as a CSI must avail themselves at all times. You may be called in the middle of dinner or in the middle of your kid's birthday party. You have to be ready and willing to pick up and go to the crime scene.

3. In the past, most crime scene investigators were trained in-house by law enforcement agencies. Thanks to television, this is changing. You now have colleges offering CSI education. You can get anywhere from certificate to masters degree in crime scene investigation.

But keep in mind that all the education will not replace the additional training you will receive by the law enforcement agency that employs you. There is nothing like real life training and guidance from real life CSIs. But the education you get from college will definitely give you an advantage, both in getting the job and performance after you get the job.

I have covered the 3 things I believe you should know before becoming a crime scene investigator. There are of course other things you have to know. Covering every little thing is beyond what I can cover in a short article like this. I encourage you to continue to expand your knowledge if you aspire to become a CSI.

Note: You are free to reprint or republish this article. The only condition is that the Resource Box should be included and the links are live links.

Copywrite Kenneth Echie. Kenneth is a writer for Criminal Justice Degrees. Get free scholarship and grant report and learn all the things you need to become a Crime Scene Investigator by visiting.

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Crime Scene Technician - Becoming a Civilian Crime Scene Technician

The Scientific Investigation of the Scenes of Crimes

Over the past few years many law enforcement agencies find themselves in a severe budget crunch. This has led them to enact changes in their daily operations. One such change is to hire and train civilians to serve as crime scene technicians.

This method of filling open crime scene technician (CST) slots produces immediate savings in that those who land these jobs do not have to be "sworn" police officers. The benefits are fewer and of course salaries are lower too. Some agencies, however, consider this as an "entry level" position and may, based upon the effectiveness of the individual, pick up the cost of sending a technician to Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) when funds are available.

In many agencies a crime scene technician or a crime scene investigator are virtually the same. In some cases the technician is a pay and training level grade below an investigator, But most agencies merely use either term to describe those individuals tasked with the responsibility of locating, evaluating and collecting physical evidence from crime scenes.

To get an idea as to the salary ranges being offered to crime scene technicians I suggest you perform an Internet search using the keywords "crime scene technician jobs," or something to that effect..

Educational requirements will vary based on the needs of the local area. Most certainly a high school education is a must, but most agencies are seeking a minimum of an Associate Degree in any of the following disciplines: Forensic Science, Criminalistics, Criminal Justice, Chemistry, Biology, or related field from an accredited community or junior college or technical institute.

Definitions related to the work of the crime scene technician.These evidence procedures and the order in which they are completed may vary from one agency to another-based upon established protocols. The following procedure is offered as a generalized approach to investigating a crime scene.

Physical Evidence: Criminal investigation involves people and/or physical objects--things. Crimes are committed by people, but they use certain physical objects to commit these crimes. It is these things used or touched by criminals that constitute what is referred to as physical or forensic evidence.

Scene Security: The specific duty of the first official to arrive at the scene of a crime is to protect and preserve life and property (offer aid and assistance to those present, apply first aid and summon the necessary medical help); and then ensure the security of the crime scene by erecting barriers (crime scene tape) and posting sentries at all possible entrances and exits.

Conduct a Visual Survey of the Scene: The initial walk-through will include a visual survey of the scene, making note of any potential physical evidence. Preliminary photographs and/or video are taken at this time.

Conduct a Thorough Scene Search: Depending upon the complexity of the scene, more than one technician will be required for the search. Potential physical evidence is located and marked with flags, signs or evidence tents for later close up photos and collection.

Maintain a Written Log: As the search progresses a written log of all findings is kept.

Prepare a Crime Scene Sketch: A rough sketch is begun for both indoor and outdoor crime scenes. The sketch will mark the locations of visible evidence and accurate measurements are taken to detail the exact location of each "thing" noted.

Process the Scene for Latent Fingerprints: Using either latent print powders or chemicals, as the type of evidence requires, any physical object that may have been touched by the perpetrator will be processed.

Perform Preliminary, Presumptive Tests for Physiological Fluids, Narcotics and Drugs: While confirmatory lab testing will also be required, physiological fluids and drugs should be subjected to presumptive, non-destructive field testing methods.

Collect and Package All Physical Evidence. This is one of the most critical functions of the CST. Court cases do not take place after a week or so following the investigation. It may take years before a criminal trial occurs. Evidence must be collected, marked and preserved with this thought in mind. For example: DNA and physiological evidence may degrade and become useless over time if steps are not taken to preserve it. Blood and semen samples can lose their value if packaged in plastic containers-especially if they are collected while still in a liquid state.

As you may plainly see-crime scene investigation is a complex task that must be completed using scientific principles and guidelines. Many criminal cases have been lost in court because forensic evidence was either mishandled, misinterpreted or was completely absent. The CST is a vital link in the chain-of-evidence, and it is a position that requires sincere devotion to the tasks at hand. The purpose and the integrity of the crime scene technician-as is the evidence he/she collects-are both on trial.

For more specific information on the tools and methods used at crime scenes, please visit the CSI TECH BLOG

Numerous agencies throughout the U.S. also recognize the completion of the home study course offered by the American Institute of Applied Science. Visit the AIAS Website for more information.

White Collar Crime Becoming More Evident

White-collar crime is called many things, but in essence it comes in two flavors - blue collar and white-collar crime. White-collar crime is almost considered by those who commit it to be a badge of honor, since it's an intricate crime of great planning. A seemingly respectable person working at a seemingly ordinary job usually perpetrates it. It could be insider trading, computer crimes or bankruptcy fraud.

Read the daily news and you'll see just how many people try and get away with bankruptcy fraud. This involves hiding some of your assets when you file for bankruptcy. The government takes a really dim view of this kind of crime.

The government isn't thrilled with this practice largely because you get funds back from the same people you owe money to help you get back on your feet. Concealing assets or money means you're stealing and committing the criminal offense of white-collar crime.

The 21st century has brought with it a whole rash of computer crimes. The perfect almost anonymous crime perpetrated by using the Internet. The biggest crime is identity theft, causing the victim untold anguish and harm - mostly involving destroying their credit rating. This happens more often than people think and yet they still don't take the kinds of precautions they should to protect themselves from losing their identities.

Identity theft is so easy as thousands of Americans buy products online with credit cards and their information is hacked. It might only start out with the stolen card, but escalates with frightening rapidity into complete identity theft. All this with a few clicks of the mouse and you suddenly don't exist as who you are any longer.

This particular crime is perhaps the most heinous, as it happens in the blink of an eye and is a complex crime getting harder to manage thanks to rapidly advancing technology.

Others areas of white-collar crime are embezzlement, when someone takes your property without consent; bribery; larceny when someone takes another's property without payment and doesn't bring it back; extortion (blackmail) and obstruction of justice where a person gets in the way of an investigation. Many people don't realize that perjury is also a white-collar crime that happens when someone lies under oath in court.

In cases such as the ones mentioned in this article, hiring an attorney familiar with handling white-collar crime cases will help mitigate the extent of the possible punishment meted out after trial. Don't attempt to represent yourself in instances like this. It's like that saying, "He who has himself for a lawyer is a fool."

Doug Slain is a sex crimes lawyer [http://www.sexcrimescounsel.com] and sex crime criminal defense lawyer in San Francisco and Oakland California. To learn more, visit [http://www.sexcrimescounsel.com]