Interview CSI

[s1yam]

Hi Karen, I'll try to be as helpful as possible.

1. Honestly I wouldn't change a thing.

2. This varies depending on different seasons. Usually we see more petty crimes during the winter months. These include break ins, burglaries. The intensity of the crime picks up around spring time and continues through summer and early fall. During these times, crimes like homicide, battery, and terroristic acts increases exponentially. Just today, 3-13, I processed a homicide, and 2 terroristic acts and its not even midnight yet. And each scenes require lots of paperwork so it keeps all of us very busy during these times.

3. It would be very useful if you major in any sort of science in college. Science like biology, chemistry, biochem will be useful. Also be very observant and have a good listening ability. If you're afraid or dislike blood, this is not the field for you. Also you have to be mentally strong and leave work at work. You shouldn't think about things you've seen at the scenes when you get home, because if you do, it will mentally exhaust you. Although some cases do get stuck in your mind, I always try to mentally detach myself from the scene once I am off work.

4. I photograph and if necessary, video the scene. I collect DNA samples, identify, lift, and process fingerprints, collect evidence related to the scene, process them, and if necessary, send it to crime lab for further analysis.

5. A decomposition of a human body is not a beautiful sight. These are the worst scenes to work on and the smell will linger in your nose for a couple of days. But otherwise, I don't get disgusted.

Hopefully this helps :)

[Les 691]

Hi Karen, I'm a Senior CSI working for Regional Scientific Support Services covering Yorkshire and the Humber and based in Humberside force area. Good to hear you are interested in CSI.
1. I wouldn't change at thing in how I became a CSI. I left school in Scotland and joined the RAF Police, served 15yrs and joined Humberside Police after a 5yr gap, as a civilian SOCO and trained at the National Training Centre for Scientific Support (now gone) and completed a Durham University Diploma in Crime Scene Investigation. I've been in the job now for just over 18yrs.

2. At the moment our attendance at scenes has dropped drastically possibly due to covid situation but we are getting a number of cannabis factories, drug deaths though house burglaries have reduced, but garage, shed burglaries have increased.

3. Have a science based qualification behind you or a forensic science degree. A number of forces in England recruit through the website. Contact your local area police and see if they can put you in contact with the local CSI office and speak to them about the role etc. In know our region gets involved with local events.

4. We impartially examine crime scenes to either support or refute any accounts that have been given to the police about the occurrence of an incident by examining for and recovering fingerprints, trace evidence, DNA. Record the scene through photographs. To assist in identifying possible offenders through DNA, Fingerprints, footwear, trace evidence. In the UK, we also examine arson scenes in conjunction with the fire brigade Investigators as some of of us are qualified fire Investigators. At murder scenes we can ask for biologists, forensic pathologist etc to come to the scene to bring expert advice and expertise

5. As said before, a decomposed body isn't nice and neither is any body, but you treat every one with respect and dignity.