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Transcript
Forensic Science • What is forensic science? • History of Crime Labs. • Why is there recent growth in crime Labs in the past 35 years? • What units make up a crime lab? • What are the roles of each unit? • What are optional services provided by some crime labs? • What are some special forensic services? What is forensic science? • Forensic science is the application of science to criminal and civil laws. • The word forensic comes from the Latin forensis, meaning "of or before the forum." History of Crime Labs • 1923 - The oldest forensic Lab in the U.S is that of L.A. Police Dept. • 1932 - FBI organized a national lab that offered forensic services to all law enforcement agencies to the country • FBI is now the world’s largest forensic lab • 1981 – FBI opens a Forensic Science and Research/Training Center • Most local law enforcements jurisdictions operate their own independent crime labs Why is there recent growth in crime Labs in the past 35 years? • Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s placed greater emphasis on obtaining physical evidence - Criminal suspects are advised of their constitutional rights - Confessions did not hold as much significance • Increases in crime rates over past 40 years • All drugs must be sent to a lab for analysis • DNA profiling What units make up a crime lab? Physical Science Unit Biology Unit Firearms Unit Document Unit Photographic Unit What are the roles of each unit? • Physical Science Unit incorporates the principles of chemistry, physics, and geology to identify and compare physical evidence. • Biology Unit applies the knowledge of biological sciences in order to investigate blood samples, body fluids, hair, and fiber samples. • Firearms Unit investigates discharged bullets, cartridge cases, shotgun shells, and ammunition, GSR and comparison of marks made by tools What are the roles of each unit? • Document Unit provides the skills needed for handwriting analysis and other questioned-document issues. • Photographic Unit applies specialized photographic techniques for recording and examining physical evidence. What are optional services provided by some crime labs? • Toxicology Unit examines body fluids and organs for the presence of drugs and poisons. • Latent Fingerprint Unit processes and examines evidence for latent fingerprints. What are optional services provided by some crime labs? • Polygraph Unit conducts polygraph or lie detector tests. • Voiceprint Analysis Unit attempts to tie a recorded voice to a particular suspect. • Evidence-Collection Unit dispatches specially trained personnel to the crime scene to collect and preserve physical evidence. What are some special forensic services? • Forensic Pathology - investigation of sudden, unexplained , or violent deaths • Forensic Anthropology - Primarily concerned with ID and examination of human skeletal remains (Bones can reveal age, sex, race, height and physical injury) • Forensic Entomology - The study of insects • Forensic Psychiatry - Area that examines human behavior and legal proceedings What are some special forensic services? • Forensic Odontology - Area that examines bite marks and dental ID of corpses • Computer Science - Area that involves ID, collecting, preserving, and examining info. From computers and other technology • Forensic Engineering - Area concerned with failure analysis, accident reconstruction, and cause and origins of fires or explosions Role of a Forensic Scientist • As opposed to what is on television, the role of a forensic scientist is not to run around searching for the “bad guy.” • Role is to analyze physical evidence. • Forensic scientist’s can have a college degree in biology, chemistry, or physics. Additionally, with experience in lab work or an apprenticeship. • Or forensic scientist’s graduate from 4 year universities with degrees in forensic science. What are the skills of a forensic scientist? • Evidence brought to a crime lab Forensic Scientist analyzes it and gives conclusions to the investigator. • Identification, comparison, probability, reliability of the results. • Must also testify in court (expert witness) • Can also be called to testify years later so forensic scientists must keep good notes. • “ Expert” – person with special knowledge, skill, experience, training and or education that goes beyond the experience of ordinary members of the public. • Can give opinion. • Also Forensic scientist can often be asked to train police officers in a specific area. - Drug hiding capabilities.