![]() ![]() ![]() In this case, the CSI must still possess a good understanding of forensic science in order to recognize the specific value of various types of evidence in the field. Some CSIs only work in the field - they collect the evidence and then pass it to the forensics lab. What goes on at the crime scene is called crime scene investigation (or crime scene analysis), and what goes on in the laboratory is called forensic science. When the lab results are in, they go to the lead detective on the case.Įvery CSI unit handles the division between field work and lab work differently. The crime lab processes all of the evidence the CSI collected at the crime scene.Depending on the task breakdown of the CSI unit she works for and her areas of expertise, she may or may not analyze the evidence in the lab. The CSI systematically makes her way through the scene collecting all potential evidence, tagging it, logging it and packaging it so it remains intact on its way to the lab. Now it's time to touch stuff - very, very carefully.She documents the scene as a whole and documents anything she has identified as evidence. Sometimes, the documentation stage includes a video walk-through, as well. ![]() The CSI thoroughly documents the scene by taking photographs and drawing sketches during a second walk-through.She does an initial walk-through to get an overall feel for the crime scene, finds out if anyone moved anything before she arrived, and generates initial theories based on visual examination. The CSI arrives on the scene and makes sure it is secure.The overall system works something like this: The investigation of a crime scene begins when the CSI unit receives a call from the police officers or detectives on the scene. So while the CSI scrapes off the dried blood without smearing any prints, lifts several hairs without disturbing any trace evidence and smashes through a wall in the living room, he's considering all of the necessary steps to preserve the evidence in its current form, what the lab can do with this evidence in order to reconstruct the crime or identify the criminal, and the legal issues involved in making sure this evidence is admissible in court. The ultimate goal is the conviction of the perpetrator of the crime. There is no typical crime scene, there is no typical body of evidence and there is no typical investigative approach.Īt any given crime scene, a CSI might collect dried blood from a windowpane - without letting his arm brush the glass in case there are any latent fingerprints there, lift hair off a victim's jacket using tweezers so he doesn't disturb the fabric enough to shake off any of the white powder (which may or may not be cocaine) in the folds of the sleeve, and use a sledge hammer to break through a wall that seems to be the point of origin for a terrible smell.Īll the while, the physical evidence itself is only part of the equation. "Processing a crime scene" is a long, tedious process that involves purposeful documentation of the conditions at the scene and the collection of any physical evidence that could possibly illuminate what happened and point to who did it. Crime scene investigation is the meeting point of science, logic and law. ![]()
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