How to Start a Job as a Crime Scene Investigator
Crime scene investigators or CSIs are professionals who document the scene of the crime, collecting and analyzing evidence. They work alongside law enforcement and forensic pathologists to process physical evidence such as hair and DNA to help solve cases and identify suspects.
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Instructions
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Find out the requirements in your state. In some areas, a crime scene investigator is known as a forensic investigator, while in others he or she is a crime scene analyst. With the different names come different job functions: some have a stronger emphasis on documenting evidence, while others directly collect it and sometimes analyze it in laboratories. Requirements for a specific state can be found by calling your local law enforcement department, as there is no centralized program where you can search for details by state.
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Decide what level of employment you want to reach in the field. Civilians who work as crime scene investigators usually have fewer chances for advancement and have lower salaries (and sometimes fewer rights when it comes to researching crime scenes). Sworn police officers who specialize in working as CSIs have more chances for advancement, including the opportunity to become lab officials or directors.
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Get the appropriate degree required by your state. Most city CSI departments require a college degree in criminal justice, law or forensic science. Smaller cities or rural agencies may accept diploma programs or be willing to offer on-the-job training. Sworn police officers have more of a chance to land a CSI job without a degree than civilians do.
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Take as many additional courses as possible in fields that may expand your resume, such as photography, DNA analysis, fingerprint collection and analysis, sketching or drawing and recognizing footprints.
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Become a police officer if you want to skip the college education part and want to secure better benefits. Openings for CSIs are often advertised internally or can be applied for directly. Most require at least 2 to 3 years of experience as a police officer.
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Tips & Warnings
Some states require that police officers wanting to be CSIs are at least 21 years old before they apply for a position.
