ARCHIVE FOR THE FORENSIC SCIENCE

The hit show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, has done more than just rack up top television ratings. It has also sparked a tremendous amount of interest in the criminal justice career fields, especially forensic science.

Many of us simply dream of solving crimes, unlike the real unsung heroes who work behind the scenes in crime labs, on police and FBI forensic teams, and in courtrooms. We respect the intelligence, mystery, skill and never-a-dull-moment activity that is highlighted in this type of work.

But what are some of these forensic science jobs? Here are a few:

• Crime scene technician – collects and documents physical evidence at the crime scene, often working outdoors, and prepares samples and evidence for transport to the crime lab.
• Crime lab analyst – analyzes samples from the crime scene in a lab setting, providing the results to investigators. DNA testing, firearm examination and trace evidence examination are specialties in this area.
• Medical examiner – thoroughly examines the deceased and is a medical doctor.
• Criminal (psychological) profiler – works with law enforcement investigators to establish a psychological profile of the perpetrator and/or victim.
• Forensic anthropologist – works with recovered bones to determine the identity of a victim, including age, race, cause of death and time interval since death.
• Forensic artist –creates a composite drawing, usually of a potential suspect, based upon eyewitness details. May also reconstruct facial images after decomposition, including age progression, for media or identification purposes.
• Document Examiner – analyzes and examines documents to determine facts that can be proven and verified, and often testifies about those findings in legal proceedings.For most forensic science occupations, expect a heavy dose of science, math and English courses. Online classes are more convenient and may be found in junior colleges, on reputable education websites, in universities and in career training schools.It is encouraging to know that in as little as 2-4 years, depending upon your current level of education, you could be wearing your own CSI identification tag and working a crime scene.No more dreaming – make it real and go for it!

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