The History of Criminalistics
Criminalistics is the science of using a number of scientific evidences to solve a crime. The term also refers to a form of forensic science. Practitioners in this field use blood, body fluids, fingerprints, DNA, shoe and automobile tire impressions as well as ballistics and other forms of evidence to determine who committed a crime.
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Who Made It a Word
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Hans Gross originally used the word "criminalistics" or "Kriminalistik" in 1891; however, the term did not catch on until 1960 when the police and criminal justice departments came together to create a degree teaching people how to solve crimes. This is when the terms "criminalistics" and "forensics" first became widely used.
The Bureau of Investigation
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In 1908, the Bureau of Investigations was established by Charles Bonaparte, then attorney general. This bureau was created to investigate interstate commerce.
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The First Forensic Laboratory
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In 1924, the Los Angeles Police Department became the first U.S. police department to have a police crime laboratory. It was established by August Vollmer and was called the "Scientific Investigation Division."
Behavioral Science Units
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In 1972 the FBI Academy started a unit called the "Behavioral Science Unit" whose job it was to evaluate and predict the behavioral patterns of rapists and murderers.
National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes
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Most criminalist programs were small units or programs that offered scientific and advanced services to police. The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, established in 1984, was opened on the FBI campus to provide local and state police with advanced criminal profiling services.
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