Crime Scene Investigation & Forensic Analysis
Crime scene investigators are the first line of defense in solving a crime. These professionals have the tremendous responsibility of locating evidence and ensuring the integrity of that evidence so it can be analyzed by forensic scientists. Once evidence is collected by crime scene investigators, it is handed over to forensic scientists who analyze it to determine how it fits into the crime being investigated.
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Types of Evidence
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When crime scene investigators collect evidence, they are looking for two different types: testimony and physical. Testimonial evidence is the information received from any witnesses or living victims who are found at the scene of a crime. This is usually collected by the first responder at the scene---such as a police officer---who will separate the witnesses so they don't influence each others' statements.
Physical evidence includes fluids, fibers, hair and fingerprints. When this type of evidence is found, crime scene investigators methodically collect and preserve all the items so they can be analyzed.
How Evidence Is Collected
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To preserve the integrity of physical evidence, one investigator is assigned the task of collecting and preserving what was found at the scene of a crime. There is a collection protocol for each type of evidence found. For example, wet blood evidence is placed on a piece of gauze until it is dry and then put into a refrigerator or freezer and sent for analysis. Threads and fibers found at a crime scene are placed into a piece of paper, and then sealed in an envelope and sent to the lab.
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How Physical Evidence Is Used
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Physical evidence is used by investigators in several ways, such as confirming or disproving statements made by witnesses at a crime scene, linking a suspect to a scene and/or a victim and determining if a criminal can be linked to other crimes by analyzing how the crime was committed.
Forensic Scientists
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Different types of evidence are analyzed by different kinds of forensic scientists. For example: a forensic dentist may look at bite marks that were made on a victim; a forensic pathologist analyzes the tissues of a victim to see if death was hastened by foul play or a natural cause; and a forensic anthropologist may look at a skeleton to help determine the gender and ancestry of the deceased.
The CSI Effect
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The popularity of shows like "CSI" and "Forensic Files" has ignited a great deal of interest in how forensic science is used. However, this interest has negatively affected what goes on in the courtroom. Thanks to a phenomenon called "The CSI Effect," the expectation now is that all criminal cases can be neatly wrapped up through the use of forensics. This has been a concern for both sides of the aisle during criminal trials as prosecutors must explain to jurors why certain pieces of evidence have not been tested forensically and defense attorneys must battle the perception of forensic evidence infallibility.
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References
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