provide impartial scientific evidence for use
in the courts of law, drawing principally from chemistry and biology,
physics, geology, psychology, social science, etc.
While CSI is just a television show, its immense
popularity is seen as having influenced the public’s perceptions of
the criminal justice process and real life crime scene investigators.
Because of this, CSI has its share of criticisms.
In a forensic science (Crime
Scene Investigator) program, you will learn how to identify the
boundaries of a crime scene and understand the principles of searching the
crime scene for specific types of evidence, such as fingerprints, forensic
identifiable material, and other items of evidentiary value.
Crime Scene Investigator |
CSI Schools
"CSI Effect" on Real
Crime Scene Investigation Cases
There are concerns that such TV shows cause juries to have unrealistic
expectations about forensic evidence presented in court. This has come
to be known as the "CSI effect".
Another concern with CSI is not its factual flaws, but conversely, the
raised awareness of forensic science — to the point of paranoia — that
it encourages amongst criminals. FBI agents and police detectives have
expressed distress that CSI is educating criminals in how to leave a
"squeaky clean" crime scene. In shootings, shell casings are more
frequently being removed from the scene of the crime; rapists and
molesters wear condoms to prevent semen samples from being available;
stabbings and other crimes often leave no fingerprints; and many
criminals have found ways to be generally more stealthy at what they
do.
The weakness of this argument is revealed when it is argued that, to
the contrary, the program sends criminals the message that no matter
how much they try to cover up their crimes, forensic scientists can
track them down. And unless the criminal is exceptionally intelligent,
it will be next to impossible to clear away all the evidence. As Delko
said on the February 6, 2006 episode of the Miami spinoff, "Criminals
only clear away what they can see." Most criminals simply are not that
smart. Other crime shows—"Diagnosis Murder", for instance—feature
episodes in which doctors and police themselves use the access they
have to information to commit crimes in ways that are difficult to
detect. (Sherlock Holmes once said that "Doctors make the cleverest
criminals" for that reason.)
Crime labs in some countries have also reported an increase in the
number of submissions being made to them by police investigating
crimes. As most labs are usually under a back-log of work, the
increase adds to the time taken to process evidence.
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Crime Scene
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page is dedicated to Crime Scene Investigator CSI School. The information
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