Types of Crime Scene Investigators

Crime scene investigators help law enforcement solve cases by documenting a crime scene and collecting evidence. The kinds of investigators that assist in solving crimes are the crime scene leaders, videographers, photographers, sketch artists and evidence collectors. Once the evidence has been collected, it is sent to forensic scientists who analyze the evidence to help law enforcement personnel interpret it.

Leader

The leader at a crime scene is responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly and that every member of the team works together in an efficient manner. The duties of the leader at a crime scene include assigning tasks to other members of the team, overseeing the flow of information to everyone working the scene and communicating developments to law enforcement personnel.

Videographer

Crime scene videographers help to produce a record of the location---along with the photographers and sketch artists. When making videos of crime scenes, these investigators must tell the story of the scene without any bias---so there should be no narration in the video or background discussion caught on tape. Videographers capture all of the items at the scene through wide angles and close-up shots.

Photographer

Crime scene photographers generally begin working after videographers have finished recording. These professionals take photos of major pieces of evidence, such as the victim and latent fingerprints, before they are removed from the scene. When making these records, they will generally take photos at eye level in order to reflect how they would have been seen by the victim or perpetrator of the crime.

Sketch Artist

Like videographers and photographers, crime scene sketch artists are responsible for making a record of a scene that will be used by law enforcement and prosecutors until a case has been resolved. They are responsible for drawing major pieces of evidence at the scene, which is done by using either an overhead view or a side-view perspective. In addition, crime scene sketch artists also document information about when they made the sketch, including the date and time, the weather and lighting conditions at the scene and the specific location where the evidence was found.

Evidence Collectors

At each crime scene, the leader assigns the duty of evidence collection to one crime scene investigator---a practice that is designed to ensure that no evidence is overlooked or compromised during the collection process. Evidence collectors gather items and prepare them to be sent to forensic scientists for analysis by packaging and sealing them in bags.

Forensic Scientists

Forensics scientists analyze evidence collected at the scene. The type of forensic scientists who will examine evidence depends on what is found. For example, a forensic odontologist may identify an unknown victim based on analyzing dental records, and a forensic toxicologist can determine if a victim was poisoned or drugged.

References

• Crime Scene Investigator Network
• www.all-about-forensic-science.com
• Northern Illinois University