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Crime scene Investigator (I- RIASEC) Major: Criminal Justice

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- The word forensic comes from the Latin word forensis meaning public. It's related to the word forum, which in ancient Rome was a market, a place of public discussion, or a court.
- So our modern term forensic, which we use to mean the use of scientific methods in solving crimes, has its roots in the Latin words for making something public or bringing something to court.
- It does involve Science, they investigate what weapon they use or how the crime scene happened through science, I call the investigative part the "Hands on Project". I call it that because they use science and put their hands on evidence like a gun for example, it does take science to know where the gun was when it was used, where it was made, how it was used, and when it opened fire.

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What is CSI?

Crime scene investigation is a science known as forensics. For every crime there is evidence left behind that can help authorities reconstruct the facts behind the incident. Skilled professionals analyze every bit of the scene until they know all the details of a crime including, sometimes, who did it. Let's take a look at this fascinating job and the science behind it.

Forensics

The word forensic comes from the Latin word forensis meaning public. It's related to the word forum, which in ancient Rome was a market, a place of public discussion, or a court. So our modern term forensic, which we use to mean the use of scientific methods in solving crimes, has its roots in the Latin words for making something public or bringing something to court. Today, any science that is used in the field of law is a form of forensic science.

Witnesses

Forensic scientists study lots of evidence at the scene. Their first line of fact-finding is to talk to anyone who was a witness or might have been a witness without realizing it. Witnesses can offer important clues. Sometimes the victim makes a good witness. But because people can forget or remember events incorrectly, physical evidence is usually more reliable.

Try this with a friend. Show your friend a photograph containing a number of people - say 3 or 4 - doing something in a location not familiar to your friend. Allow them to look at the picture for under a minute. Don't tell them why. Then ask them detailed questions about the picture. What color was the hair of the tallest person in the picture? What was the person wearing that was sitting? Which person had a hat? See if your friend caught all the details you are searching for. See why witnesses don't always get everything right. They didn't realize they were going to be a witness when the event was happening. Fear and other emotions can also affect a person's memory.

Evidence

Some of the evidence that can exist at a crime scene:

Soil

Glass

Plants

Fibers

Fingerprints

Tire tracks

Splatter

Footprints

Liquids

Chemicals

Handwriting

Drugs

Bullets

Hair

Blood

DNA

Broken or bent objects

These are just a few of the things that a forensic scientist might find and study at a crime scene.

Cross Contamination

When studying a crime scene, it is extremely important that evidence doesn't get cross contaminated. This means that evidence doesn't get mixed with other evidence, or that it doesn't get touched or moved by people who are on the scene. To prevent cross contamination, crime scene tape is placed on the site to keep people from walking into or touching any part of the area being investigated.

Investigators take other precautions too, like wearing gloves so their own fingerprints don't end up on the evidence. Each piece of evidence that they collect is stored in a separate plastic container before taking it into the crime lab to study further.

Other Challenges

Outdoor crime scenes present some difficult challenges for investigators. Animals or other humans can accidently cross through a crime scene and destroy evidence before the investigators get word that a crime has been committed, especially in public outdoor areas like parks.

Time is crucial - having to investigate an outdoor crime scene at night when it is dark may cause forensic experts to overlook important evidence, but waiting until morning light allows weather conditions like rain or temperature changes to alter evidence.

When is it used?

TV programs would have most people thinking that crime scene investigators are hunting for clues in a murder or a kidnapping. That is often done, but forensic scientists can also solve cases involving burglary, break-in, car jacking, poaching, bank robbery, fraud, forgery, a traffic accident, and many other crimes.

Forensic scientists have even been called on to identify dinosaur bones, crimes committed centuries ago or to determine the cause of death for historical celebrities such as ancient kings and pharaohs.

DNA

DNA is often used to identify victims or suspects or to rule out people involved in criminal activities. But what is DNA and how can it be used in such instances?

DNA is like a secret code that exists in all of our cells. DNA is a microscopic instruction plan that holds details about us such as what we look like, what hand we write with, and even how tall we will grow to be. Everyone and every living thing have DNA. No two people have the same DNA unless they are identical twins. Because every living thing's DNA is different, it is used by investigators to determine the identifying details of a person, from hair color to gender. Scientists are currently working on discovering all of the secrets that DNA holds. Learn more about how DNA is used in forensic work.

In forensics, scientists can take a sampling from the inside of someone's cheek or their blood and compare the DNA of one sample to the DNA of another sample to be able to tell if they came from the same person. This can be very helpful in proving that a suspect is actually NOT guilty. This method of crime solving has been used regularly since 1992.

Fingerprints

Fingerprints are the small ridges on the tips of our fingers and are different on every person. When a person touches a table or another surface, they leave behind a telltale sign of their fingerprint. Forensic investigators can remove this fingerprint using a special powder and some tape. They then compare this evidence with a fingerprint that has already been collected from the person to whom they are planning to compare.

Fingerprint specialists evaluate the small curves and whorls of the fingerprints to determine if they are the same. There are a series of fingerprint patterns which are similar in all people. Take a look at these patterns to learn more about fingerprinting.

Wildlife Forensics

Crime in the animal world happens more than most of us know. Forensic investigators use the same methods and tools as those who solve crimes against people. They can find out how an animal died, how long ago it happened, and track down if it was killed by another animal or by a human. By teeth marks and hair left at the scene, they can even figure out what kind of animal did the killing. Sometimes it is important to find out if a wolf or a bear is killing farm animals or is in an area frequently visited by hikers or campers. This is a safety issue for all of us who love the outdoors.

Animals are sometimes hunted illegally. This is known as poaching. A forensic scientist can use evidence left at the scene of a dead animal to help authorities arrest the person or the people who killed an endangered animal, hunted more than they were permitted, or who was hunting outside of the rules.

To learn more about wildlife forensics visit Idaho Fish and Game's forensic website.

Want To Be a Forensic Scientist?

Here are just a few of the possible jobs available in the world of forensic science:

Medical examiner - performs autopsies

Chemist - analyzes chemicals found

Forensic engineer - can determine how a structure collapsed

Toxicologist - tests for poisons

DNA analyst - uses DNA to identify victims or suspects

Lab technician - studies blood and other body samples

Computer technician - records digital information for safe keeping

Fingerprint expert - identifies specific patterns in fingerprints

Handwriting expert - determines handwriting patterns

Psychiatrist - studies crimes and the people involved to help prevent future crimes

Anthropologist - studies bones to determine age, gender, race, etc.

Ballistics expert - determines the gun and ammunition used in a crime

Lots of other professionals can be called on in particular situations - plumbers, electricians, nurses, doctors, dentists, and anyone else who might have information specific to the details of a case.

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Crime scene investigation is a science known as forensics. For every crime there is evidence left behind that can help authorities reconstruct the facts behind the incident. Skilled professionals analyze every bit of the scene until they know all the details of a crime including, sometimes, who did it.

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- Barry Allen
- Dr. William Bass (United States)
- Dr. Joseph Bell (Scotland)
- Dr. Edmond Locard (France)
- Dr. Henry Faulds (United Kingdom)
- William R. Maples (United States)
- Clea Koff (United Kingdom)
- Frances Glessner Lee (United States)
- Robert P. Spalding (United States)

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Forensic science is the process of applying science to criminal and civil laws to solve investigations. Since the early 1800s, forensic science has played a critical role in solving many high-profile crimes and cases long forgotten about.

Due to the contributions of several famous forensic scientists, the field of criminal investigation has been able to progress into an extremely high-tech process that makes getting away with crimes much more difficult than in the past. The following list contains eight famous forensic scientists and their contributions to scientific discoveries:

1. Dr. William Bass (United States)

Dr. William Bass is a pioneer in the field of famous forensic scientists. Dr. Bass specializes in human decomposition and what bones can tell us about a person after death. Dr. William Bass has been consulted on many high profile cases, working out of the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee, which he started in 1971.

Dr. Bass has also made contributions to the forensic fiction genre under the pen name Jefferson Bass.

2. Dr. Joseph Bell (Scotland)

Dr. Joseph Bell was a surgeon from Scotland and one of the first famous forensic scientists in the world. Dr. Bell used the technique of close observation before making a diagnosis in a patient, which was a new idea at the time. He was one of the first doctors that insisted that health care practitioners wash their hands in between patients.

Insisting that medical assistants washed their hands saved many lives of pregnant women throughout Scotland. Dr. Bell would often impress his colleagues by using his observation skills to deduce what a stranger's occupation was and their recent activities. Believe it or not, Dr. Bell was the inspiration for the character of Sherlock Holmes!

3. Dr. Edmond Locard (France)

The crime lab is a must-have for any good investigative story. It's here where all the evidence can be analyzed without interruption. It wasn't until the 1800s that crime labs became standard practice for all investigators. Dr. Edmond Locard is credited with creating the first crime lab in Lyon, France. Dr. Locard converted two attic rooms in the police headquarters to begin analyzing evidence on pending investigations.

Dr. Edmond Locard is created with being the first to suggest that "everything leaves a trace." This is an extremely important investigative principle that's still used today to drive investigations forward. Dr. Locard was the first to theorize that each person who enters a crime scene leaves something behind and each person present at the crime, takes something with them.

4. Dr. Henry Faulds (United Kingdom)

Fingerprinting is a powerful technique that law enforcement agencies around the world have been using for the past 100 years. Fingerprinting was able to evolve as a technique thanks to the contributions from multiple professors, surgeons and police offices. While fingerprints had been mentioned in scientific papers before, it wasn't until 1863 where Paul-Jean Coulier first noted that iodine fumes can cause fingerprints to appear on paper.

In 1880, Dr. Henry Faulds published a paper which detailed the usefulness of using fingerprints for identification. In this paper, Dr. Faulds also proposed a recording the fingerprints with printing ink. Dr. Faulds later collaborated with Charles Darwin's cousin, Francis Galton, and together these famous forensic scientists established a statistical model of fingerprint analysis. It was during this time the discovered the chances of two individuals having the same fingerprints is about 1 in 64 billion.

5. William R. Maples (United States)

William R. Maples was a forensic anthropologist known for his contribution to human identification and trauma analysis. William R. Maples was consulted to investigate human remains in many high profile cases including the remains of Joseph Merrick, "The Elephant Man." William R. Maples is credited for his contribution to over 1200 cases throughout his career.

6. Clea Koff (United Kingdom)

Known as the "bone woman", Clea Koff is a famous forensic scientist known for her contributions to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Her discoveries were able to answer many questions about the victims of the Rwandan Genocide and may even help bring the guilty parties to justice. Clea Koff is also known for her contributions to forensic science in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Croatia.

7. Frances Glessner Lee (United States)

Frances Glessner Lee is credited with one of the most impactful developments in crime scene investigations: building miniature crime scenes. Frances Glessner Lee was able to construct models with incredible detail that homicide investigators could use to sharpen crime-solving skills. During the early 1900s, this was still a very new idea that helped revolutionize homicide investigation. Miniatures and tiny dioramas are still used in forensic training and testing today.

8. Robert P. Spalding (United States)

Robert P. Spalding famously made his contribution to forensic science by developing his expertise in bloodstain pattern analysis. In 1971, Robert Spalding joined the FBI, and in 1975 he became responsible for training FBI field office evidence response teams throughout the United States. His contributions changed how crime scenes are investigated. Robert P. Spalding is also the author of many books around the topic of blood analysis.

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The 8 Most Famous Forensic Scientists & Their List of Achievements

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Forensic science is the process of applying science to criminal and civil laws to solve investigations. Since the early 1800s, forensic science has played a critical role in solving many high-profile crimes and cases long forgotten about. Due to t...

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- Helps solves crimes
- helps find the criminal
- they handle the chemistry
- know how to test blood
- Handles crime scenes

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- It falls between $62,041
- $82,713
- $91,287

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How much does a Criminal Investigator make in New York, NY? The average Criminal Investigator salary in New York, NY is $82,713 as of July 27, 2020, but the range typically falls between $62,041 and $91,287. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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Job Description for Criminal Investigator

Criminal Investigator conducts investigations of criminal cases. Analyzes collected data or evidence and prepares documentation for legal action. Being a Criminal Investigator conducts surveillance and interviews witnesses. Interfaces with various law enforcement agencies. Additionally, Criminal Investigator may require an associate degree or its equivalent. Typically reports to a supervisor or a manager. The Criminal Investigator contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. To be a Criminal Investigator typically requires 4 to 7 years of related experience. (Copyright 2020 Salary.com)... View full job description

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Core compensation

These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Criminal Investigator in New York, NY. The base salary for Criminal Investigator ranges from $62,041 to $91,287 with the average base salary of $82,713. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $62,041 to $91,287 with the average total cash compensation of $82,713.

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Criminal Investigator Salary in popular cities: Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers

Skills associated with Criminal Investigator: Regulatory Reporting, Surveillance, Investigations, Evidence Collection

Recently searched related titles: Forensic Assistant, Crime Analyst, Undercover Investigator

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Criminal Investigator Salary in New York, NY | Salary.com

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How much does a Criminal Investigator make in New York, NY? The average Criminal Investigator salary in New York, NY is $82,713 as of July 27, 2020, but the range typically falls between $62,041 and $91,287. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.

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I want to be able to become a CSI in...
- Queens, New York
- New York, New York
- Rhode Island
- Maine