Criminal Investigation today is being conducted with more technology than ever, due to that we can catch the criminals faster or even close a case, but it wasn’t always like that. Criminal Investigations started with the Bow Street Runners which became the first paid detective unit. As the years went by crime around the world stated to increase, due to that more investigation departments stated developing. One of the most significant person to play a role in today’s police investigations was Allan Pinkerton he was the first detective in Chicago. He was part of the Secret Service and he developed techniques that are still being used in today by police work like the undercover work. After the agency in Chicago was established other agencies started growing around the world more strategies on investigating cases were being develop and were being adapted by other countries. In the 1800 and 1900 Forensic science improved in many ways; know they did not only have the finger printing for evidence but also Ballistic, Forensic Dentistry and serology. Not much after that they developed something that is very big now and days, the computer programs. One of the first programs was the Hitman known today as “The Computer Data Base” used to cross reference information and then they have developed other computer programs that are used by different bureau like the FBI, CSI and other police departments. In today’s society mostly everything is done on computers including they can even recreate a crime scene with the correct measurement and statistic and have a better glimpse of what might have happened. With all that said to me criminal investigation have change throughout the years, but not only to be better at conducting a criminal investigation but following the roots left from the founders of criminology making want they stated a better and…
The episode I watched involving misinterpretations of forensic science was CSI: Bite Me. It is about a husband who finds his wife, Becky Lester dead on their stair case. The husband immediately calls 911, needing paramedics only to find out it was a criminal case. Once investigators arrive the scene is a mess from the paramedics tracking her blood all over the house, making it hard to identify if the perpetrators prints where present. The team didn’t waste any time and began to examining her body’s position and blood splatter to see if it was possible she fell down the stairs. Investigators soon ruled it out due to her position and the size of the blood splatter was too large for a fall (2 meters) and more in line with a sharp object. Next…
The next step is for the investigator to take notes of the crime scene. The process of note taking should be extensive, containing even notes they may seem insignificant but may become valuable evidence later (Fisher & Fisher, 2012). At this point evidence should not be moved or touched. Next pictures are taken at the crime just as it happened. The pictures should include scales to show accuracy in the evidence produced. Next is sketching the areas where the evidence was found is a way to support the picture evidence at court. The sketches should be accurate and contain measurements of the scene.…
2. Do you think you suffer from the "CSI effect"? Why or why not? What problems do you think this "effect" has on the criminal justice system? I think that to a certain extent I do suffer from the “CSI effect”. This is because the entire reason I’m so interested in the field of forensics is from watching crime shows such as NCIS and other forensic documentaries. Doing this might have given me an unrealistic expectation of how the study of forensics worked. However, I do understand that this field isn’t as quick and simple as portrayed on television, and even knowing this, I’m still just as interested in the field. I think that this effect causes problems in the criminal justice system such as people who give up on cases more easily than they otherwise would, because they would perceive the analyzing of evidence to be a slower process. It could also mean that there are people in the field less motivated, because their job isn’t what they expected.…
A crime scene investigator might indicate the scale of evidence in photos by using common tools like cigarette packs, ballpoint pens, or car keys as points of reference. They also use rulers, probably for measuring.…
In the first crime scene, what other evidence might be available for forensic scientists in addition to your suspect sketch? Choose one piece of evidence that might be available. How would forensic scientists use the evidence to identify the suspect?…
My most favorite is the First 48 this show follows homicide detectives in real life investigations. The main idea behind naming the show First 48 is, after the first forty eight hours the chances of solving a murder are cut in half. First 48 focuses on the perpetrator of the crime, witnesses, the discovery of the bodies as it happens, and with real footage. With First 48 unfortunately not all the cases get solved by the end of the show. The show goes to the top police departments in the United States, such as Miami, Birmingham, Vegas, and Memphis just to name a few. The detectives show you how the case develops as the hours tick down. At the bottom of the screen the views are notified with a clock counting down. You get to see the arrest and the interrogation of the perpetrator as it happens. They also show the viewer interviews as they happen with the witness, families, and friends of the victim. Most of the crime on First 48 happens in bad neighborhoods, so sometimes the detectives run into obstacles because the witnesses are scared for their life. Occasionally in better neighborhoods witnesses are more willing to help detectives, and the case gets solved quickly. The viewer gets to see the pain, anger and…
Crime scene investigators oversee a myriad of complex crime scenes such as armed robberies, home invasions, homicides, sexual assaults, and other property crimes. The CSI created a crime scene perimeter before investigating. CSI is responsible for collecting, documenting, securing, and properly storing all of the evidence found at a crime scene. Processing a crime scene can be a tedious process that takes several hours, and CSIs must pay careful attention to every detail to avoid overlooking critical evidence. The entire scene can and will be photographed, either by the CSI, as the evidence is collected. CSIs must follow strict protocols for collecting trace evidence such as hair, fibers, glass, paint, or dirt in order to maintain integrity of the chain of evidence. They record each item that found, including its location and any other pertinent information, and catalog and seal the item for transportation to the lab.…
2.) A few methods of crime scene recording would be, photography, drawings, and videography. Photographs may not always present a good picture of the scale of a room or of the relationship of items to each other, but drawings do a great job of this. Photos and videos are nice because they give you a fantastic visual of what the scene actually looked like.…
Forensics will be my area of study where I will have to determine the cause and manner of death. As a Crime Scene Investigator, I will be scouring a crime scene for evidence. This is a science, and a field that has a growing in importance. Michigan State University has the nation’s oldest and largest forensic science program. As a Crime Scene Investigator you have to collect, analyze, walk through a virtual crime scene where a murder has occurred, and estimate when the victim was murdered. Then construct a report dealing what I have uncovered and offer an estimated time of death.…
2.Do you think you suffer from the "CSI effect"? Why or why not? What problems do you think this "effect" has on the criminal justice system? I think I suffer from the CSI effect, I got into forensic science when I watched Dexter, my favorite serial killer. It always showed how interesting forensic science is and would be out on the field. He got a lot of days off, and it seemed pretty easy, but he wasn’t always right. Well at times he was right because he’s gone through those situations, but sometimes in court he’d bring the wrong evidence and that would mess up the whole thing and the guy would walk. All of that made me want to get into forensic science, because it looked basic and easy.…
High profile cases, flawless police work, and only the most up to date technology. These are traits every reality crime show such as CSI or Criminal Minds portray. While it is no surprise that this type of television show is among the most popular, the viewers are beginning to develop a skewed perspective of forensics in the real world. This new mindset is changing more than just the way people perceive science. The misunderstanding of science and technology has begun to lead to issues in the courtroom, in real criminal trials. Jurors influenced by the appearance of perfect investigative science are demanding extensive testing that is unnecessary and extremely costly. Reality crime shows heighten juror expectations and force law enforcement…
Are you a personal fan of TV crime dramas or are you just disturbed by them? The past couple of months and/or in the past year tv crime drama have been becoming more popular. Whether people enjoy them or there’s been a case of boredom and there’s nothing to watch. Either way the viewers of tv crime drama have increased from the last couple of years. A crime drama is a type drama show, which has its primary focus or heroes, people whose main job or occupation is to investigate, punish or commit crimes- especially homicide, assault, robbery, etc. Notable crime dramas on TV history include Dragnet, Hill Street Blues, Homicide: Life on the Street, NYPD Blue, Law & Order, The Sopranos and CSI. Most people without a doubt enjoy the thrill of crime…
The show that I feel impacts policing is "CSI." It impacts policing because it shows that it's just not one person that solves a crime; it takes a team to solve a crime. It often times takes patience and a different point of view to solve long tedious crimes. This is one of my favorite shows because there are so many technological advances today that help the police do their jobs to the best of their ability. In the future technology is going to play a key role in all aspects of law…
New technologically advanced 3D computer reconstructions allow the viewer to see real images of the crime scene much like watching a television show. The virtual world can be created using 3D lasers and computer software. The crime scene is taking on a completely different view. No longer is the crime scene restricted to inside of the crime tape. It has moved beyond a physical barrier allowing analysts to dissect the crime scene to identify evidence often missed simply walking through the traditional steps of sketching. There is now the opportunity for anyone to revisit the crime scene the next day, next week, or years from now. This is an important function to allow the jury to see exactly what the investigators and witnesses saw at the crime scene leaving nothing to the juror’s imagination.…