How Does a Crime Scene Investigator Spend a Workday?

Job Description

A crime scene investigator collects and analyzes the physical evidence at a crime scene in the hopes of solving the crime. The investigator must painstakingly collect all physical evidence, such as fingerprints, clothing, tissue samples, bullets and other weapons, and any other items that will aid in the solving of the crime in question. The investigator must also make sure no one enters the scene of the crime during the evidence-collecting process, as any disruption of the process may result in the destruction of key evidence.

Typical Workday

A crime scene investigator begins a typical workday by arriving at the scene of the crime and surveying the area. The rest of the day is spent screening the entire crime-scene area and collecting specimens as evidence. The investigator must make sure all of the evidence is properly collected and stored in evidence bags, and must photograph visual evidence like footprints or tire tracks. He must also make sure that no outside forces contaminate the crime scene or destroy valuable evidence. The investigator must make sure that all of the collected evidence is properly stored away and refrigerated if necessary. Following the collection of the evidence, the crime scene investigator retreats to the laboratory to analyze all of it, including tissue samples and chemical substances, using testing equipment like microscopes. Finally, the investigator must interpret all of the test results and findings to determine the nature of the crime and help solve it.

Other Duties

Other daily duties include interpreting the evidence to determine whether it is important to solving the case. In many instances, the investigator must work collectively with fingerprinting, medical and ballistics experts to help him understand the nature of the collected evidence. There are also times when the investigator may have to recreate a crime scene to further aid police detectives and other investigators in determining exactly what happened on the scene. Finally, the investigator must compile all of his findings in a comprehensive report and/or serve as a witness if the case ever reaches court. On the stand, the investigator will be called on to testify and present the evidence to the court, as well as explain the significance of the evidence to the judge and jury.