In case you have missed them, below is a list of some of my most interesting blog posts since I started my career as a CSI last year.
Fire Fatality
Deceased Male in Bath
My First Post Mortem
Ride Along in the USA
Suicide
These are just a selection of my favourite posts/incidents.
I'll be blogging about a nightclub shooting I attended soon.
And remember you can follow me for updates on Twitter.
CSI Guy
Suicide
I've been lucky enough not to have attended any horrific suicides since I joined CSI. Needless to say, any suicide is sad. I think the saddest part for me is the fact that someone is in a situation that they believe causing their own death is the only answer.
In a professional way, I enjoyed going to this particular job. I know at first it sounds morbid or even heartless, but you have to understand that these are the type of incidents I will attend throughout my career, I will never enjoy the fact that people have caused their own death, but I do enjoy the opportunity to investigate it. My aim is to conduct myself as professionally as possible and that the investigation is conducted to the best of my ability.
I wasn't far off the end of an early turn (0700-1500) when the call came over the radio. Uniform and CID officers were at an address where a male was deceased. I didn't have to go, as the lates crew were on. CSI Woman (not the same person as CSI Girl obviously) was heading out to it and asked if I wanted to come along. I'd never turn down an opportunity to gain experience.
I sent a text message to my other half to tell her I'd be late home- she's used to it by now.
It didn't take long to get to the address, it was only a few miles away. I drove in a seperate van to CSI Woman so I could go back to the office when we'd finished. We approached the address together, but I let CSI Woman go slightly ahead of me, after all this was her job and she has much more experience than me.
I could see two uniformed officers at the end of the pathway, they'd already recognised our vans and knew who we were, the Detective was inside the property. We'd been called as it wasn't clear how the male had passed away at first, and we are called to any unexplained or suspicious deaths. A police officer's first and foremost duty is to protect life and property, once it had been ascertained that the male had passed away, officers should leave the address to preserve as much evidence as possible.
If it had turned out that the male had been murdered, for example, then the potential for contamination or disturbance of any evidence is high, especially if a Detective was wondering around inside picking things up!
CSI Woman waited at the door and called the Detective outside. He explained to us that the male was in the upstairs rear bedroom and that it had appeared he had taken an overdose.
CSI Woman and I suited and booted, we wore white suits, shoe covers, masks and gloves. This is for two reasons- the first and most important is to avoid any contamination of evidence. We don't want to deposit anything from our persons at the scene and nor do we want to move evidence on our clothing or shoes etc. The second reason is for hygiene, I don't particularly want any hazardous fluids on my clothing, and the other half also has an issue with it apparently.
The officers confirmed that the property had been secure upon their arrival, and that they'd forced the door with an enforcer as there were concerns for the safety of the occupant.
We made our way to the upstairs rear bedroom. It was important to actually look and observe whilst we made our way there- the stairs were void of any carpet. The bare wood was exposed, but it wasn't treated. There were splashes of paint on the wood. It was clear that this was old as the hallway seemed to have had paper on the walls for sometime.
As I walked into the bedroom where the male was, the first thing I saw was a large dark wood chest of drawers. There were various items on the top of this. The thing that stood out the most was the assortment of tablet containers, there were an unusually odd number of them.
As I pushed the door, it opened to show the whole room. No lights were on and it was cold, it was still light outside and the light shone through the window which gave a slight yellow hue to the room.
Face down, half on the bed and half on the floor, sloped at an awkward angle, was the deceased male. He was wearing a dark red jumper and green cord trousers, and he was likely to be in his late forties. The room was littered with cigarette ends and ash. There was a dustbin but there was little rubbish inside it, and I noted six empty whisky bottles on the floor near the male.
Before we touched or moved anything, CSI Woman took photographs. This allows a record to be made of the scene before we 'disturb' it. If we needed to confirm or query something at a later date, we could refer to the photographs.
Whilst CSI Woman was taking the photographs of the deceased male, I had a look in the front bedroom. It wasn't really a bedroom so much as a junk room. There were nondescript boxes stacked four or five high along one wall. They were addressed to the deceased male, and on closer investigation I could see they were full of Styrofoam balls. I dug around in the box and found a number of tubs, identical to those on the chest of drawers in the rear bedroom. I looked at one of the delivery notes inside one of the boxes, they had been shipped from an Internet based company in the States. They appeared to be mostly herbal tablets for weight loss- there were probably in excess of a hundred containers of tablets.
The Detective had found a note in the front room downstairs which appeared to be written by the deceased male. It was a note explaining why he had taken his own life and how he couldn't carry on with things as they were. The male had experienced serious mental health issues for some time and it was evident that his treatment had little effect. Along with the note were details of the deceased male's bank accounts, his will and other documents that would assist his family in dealing with his affairs after his death.
The fact that everything so far was suggesting that the male had committed suicide meant that we now had to ensure there was no evidence to the contrary at the scene.
CSI Woman and I had a thorough look around the property. Sadly, there weren't many personal possessions there at all, the fridge was full of food that had been decaying for weeks, even though the male had been seen alive only a few days ago. I also noted that there was a pet's food bowl in the kitchen on a mat and a cat flap, so I assumed the cat was out.
The male was obese and appeared rather unfit. However, there were fitness and body building products in the kitchen cupboards, including more containers of the herbal tablets that I had found upstairs.
Once we had finished our search and established that there appeared to be nothing that would raise suspicion of anything other than suicide, we went back to the upstairs rear bedroom.
We had to check the deceased male's body for any bruising or wounds, I checked the male's back. His skin was blistered and off colour but there were no wounds. As the male was of large build, it took two of us to turn him over. Where his face had been against the edge of the bed, it had flattened on one side.
After the heart stops beating, the blood in the body stops moving around. Gravity will take effect on the blood and it will settle in the body- this is known as Lividity or Livor Mortis. When the skin where the blood has settled comes into contact with an hard object or surface, that area appears to be white, the blood cannot settle there due to the contact. The male's face had an area of skin that was still white, whereas the rest was a dark red colour, almost purple. Sometimes Lividity can look like bruising and it's important to realise the difference.
Underneath the male was another empty whisky bottle. It appears he may have had this bottle in his hand when he fell.
We checked the male's hands for any cuts that would suggest he'd been involved in an altercation before he died, we also checked the rest of his body, and there was nothing to suggest anything other than suicide.
Once we were satisfied that it was suicide, we requested that the undertakers attend the scene to remove the deceased male. Whilst we waited, I collected all of the open containers of pills from the bedroom and bagged them in clear plastic bags. These would prove useful if the Pathologist had any queries about the male's stomach contents when it came to the Post Mortem.
After a short time, the undertakers arrived. It was the same two undertakers that had attended the decomposed male in the bath (http://tinyurl.com/yfvgex6). The first thing we discussed was how difficult it would be for them to remove the male. I took them upstairs to the rear bedroom where the deceased male was, they looked at him and then looked at me with raised eyebrows. I took this to mean they'd need a hand in getting the male into the bag they'd brought with them.
The undertaker unzipped a large, thick, black bag, and lay it on the ground beside the male. We each took hold of the male and lifted him only a few inches off the ground and sideways into the open bag. He was heavy and the bag only just closed, he filled the bag with little room to spare.
The undertakers took the male down the stairs, pausing three times to rest before finally getting out of the front door and to their vehicle.
I had one quick look around the property and ensured we left with all of our kit and left. I got home only a few hours late.
In a professional way, I enjoyed going to this particular job. I know at first it sounds morbid or even heartless, but you have to understand that these are the type of incidents I will attend throughout my career, I will never enjoy the fact that people have caused their own death, but I do enjoy the opportunity to investigate it. My aim is to conduct myself as professionally as possible and that the investigation is conducted to the best of my ability.
I wasn't far off the end of an early turn (0700-1500) when the call came over the radio. Uniform and CID officers were at an address where a male was deceased. I didn't have to go, as the lates crew were on. CSI Woman (not the same person as CSI Girl obviously) was heading out to it and asked if I wanted to come along. I'd never turn down an opportunity to gain experience.
I sent a text message to my other half to tell her I'd be late home- she's used to it by now.
It didn't take long to get to the address, it was only a few miles away. I drove in a seperate van to CSI Woman so I could go back to the office when we'd finished. We approached the address together, but I let CSI Woman go slightly ahead of me, after all this was her job and she has much more experience than me.
I could see two uniformed officers at the end of the pathway, they'd already recognised our vans and knew who we were, the Detective was inside the property. We'd been called as it wasn't clear how the male had passed away at first, and we are called to any unexplained or suspicious deaths. A police officer's first and foremost duty is to protect life and property, once it had been ascertained that the male had passed away, officers should leave the address to preserve as much evidence as possible.
If it had turned out that the male had been murdered, for example, then the potential for contamination or disturbance of any evidence is high, especially if a Detective was wondering around inside picking things up!
CSI Woman waited at the door and called the Detective outside. He explained to us that the male was in the upstairs rear bedroom and that it had appeared he had taken an overdose.
CSI Woman and I suited and booted, we wore white suits, shoe covers, masks and gloves. This is for two reasons- the first and most important is to avoid any contamination of evidence. We don't want to deposit anything from our persons at the scene and nor do we want to move evidence on our clothing or shoes etc. The second reason is for hygiene, I don't particularly want any hazardous fluids on my clothing, and the other half also has an issue with it apparently.
The officers confirmed that the property had been secure upon their arrival, and that they'd forced the door with an enforcer as there were concerns for the safety of the occupant.
We made our way to the upstairs rear bedroom. It was important to actually look and observe whilst we made our way there- the stairs were void of any carpet. The bare wood was exposed, but it wasn't treated. There were splashes of paint on the wood. It was clear that this was old as the hallway seemed to have had paper on the walls for sometime.
As I walked into the bedroom where the male was, the first thing I saw was a large dark wood chest of drawers. There were various items on the top of this. The thing that stood out the most was the assortment of tablet containers, there were an unusually odd number of them.
As I pushed the door, it opened to show the whole room. No lights were on and it was cold, it was still light outside and the light shone through the window which gave a slight yellow hue to the room.
Face down, half on the bed and half on the floor, sloped at an awkward angle, was the deceased male. He was wearing a dark red jumper and green cord trousers, and he was likely to be in his late forties. The room was littered with cigarette ends and ash. There was a dustbin but there was little rubbish inside it, and I noted six empty whisky bottles on the floor near the male.
Before we touched or moved anything, CSI Woman took photographs. This allows a record to be made of the scene before we 'disturb' it. If we needed to confirm or query something at a later date, we could refer to the photographs.
Whilst CSI Woman was taking the photographs of the deceased male, I had a look in the front bedroom. It wasn't really a bedroom so much as a junk room. There were nondescript boxes stacked four or five high along one wall. They were addressed to the deceased male, and on closer investigation I could see they were full of Styrofoam balls. I dug around in the box and found a number of tubs, identical to those on the chest of drawers in the rear bedroom. I looked at one of the delivery notes inside one of the boxes, they had been shipped from an Internet based company in the States. They appeared to be mostly herbal tablets for weight loss- there were probably in excess of a hundred containers of tablets.
The Detective had found a note in the front room downstairs which appeared to be written by the deceased male. It was a note explaining why he had taken his own life and how he couldn't carry on with things as they were. The male had experienced serious mental health issues for some time and it was evident that his treatment had little effect. Along with the note were details of the deceased male's bank accounts, his will and other documents that would assist his family in dealing with his affairs after his death.
The fact that everything so far was suggesting that the male had committed suicide meant that we now had to ensure there was no evidence to the contrary at the scene.
CSI Woman and I had a thorough look around the property. Sadly, there weren't many personal possessions there at all, the fridge was full of food that had been decaying for weeks, even though the male had been seen alive only a few days ago. I also noted that there was a pet's food bowl in the kitchen on a mat and a cat flap, so I assumed the cat was out.
The male was obese and appeared rather unfit. However, there were fitness and body building products in the kitchen cupboards, including more containers of the herbal tablets that I had found upstairs.
Once we had finished our search and established that there appeared to be nothing that would raise suspicion of anything other than suicide, we went back to the upstairs rear bedroom.
We had to check the deceased male's body for any bruising or wounds, I checked the male's back. His skin was blistered and off colour but there were no wounds. As the male was of large build, it took two of us to turn him over. Where his face had been against the edge of the bed, it had flattened on one side.
After the heart stops beating, the blood in the body stops moving around. Gravity will take effect on the blood and it will settle in the body- this is known as Lividity or Livor Mortis. When the skin where the blood has settled comes into contact with an hard object or surface, that area appears to be white, the blood cannot settle there due to the contact. The male's face had an area of skin that was still white, whereas the rest was a dark red colour, almost purple. Sometimes Lividity can look like bruising and it's important to realise the difference.
Underneath the male was another empty whisky bottle. It appears he may have had this bottle in his hand when he fell.
We checked the male's hands for any cuts that would suggest he'd been involved in an altercation before he died, we also checked the rest of his body, and there was nothing to suggest anything other than suicide.
Once we were satisfied that it was suicide, we requested that the undertakers attend the scene to remove the deceased male. Whilst we waited, I collected all of the open containers of pills from the bedroom and bagged them in clear plastic bags. These would prove useful if the Pathologist had any queries about the male's stomach contents when it came to the Post Mortem.
After a short time, the undertakers arrived. It was the same two undertakers that had attended the decomposed male in the bath (http://tinyurl.com/yfvgex6). The first thing we discussed was how difficult it would be for them to remove the male. I took them upstairs to the rear bedroom where the deceased male was, they looked at him and then looked at me with raised eyebrows. I took this to mean they'd need a hand in getting the male into the bag they'd brought with them.
The undertaker unzipped a large, thick, black bag, and lay it on the ground beside the male. We each took hold of the male and lifted him only a few inches off the ground and sideways into the open bag. He was heavy and the bag only just closed, he filled the bag with little room to spare.
The undertakers took the male down the stairs, pausing three times to rest before finally getting out of the front door and to their vehicle.
I had one quick look around the property and ensured we left with all of our kit and left. I got home only a few hours late.
NPIA training - Module One
I spoke briefly about the training course provided by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in my previous posts.
I have been to, and returned from the course, the dates of which will remain unknown to allow some anonymity.
The NPIA delivers a number of courses to forces across the UK and even some International forces. Before the implementation of the NPIA's training input for CSI's, each force would deliver their own input. This was beneficial to understanding local policies and procedures however there would be regional differences in the service provided. This was recognised by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC) and a recommendation was that CSIs should attend a National training course before becoming competent in the role.
Older CSI's or SOCOs (some forces still use this name) would attend a nine week residential course and become full CSIs when they left, meaning they could attend all volume crime (burglaries and theft etc) as well as all major crime (murder, rape, serious assaults and so on).
The new training input is divided into two courses, a five and four week residential course. Once CSI's have attended the five week course they are competent to perform the role of a Volume Crime Scene Investigator. There is then a recommended period of six months where these skills can be implemented in a CSI's own force area before they return to complete the four week course. Once this has been completed, the CSI is then competent to attend major scenes alone. This new approach is known as a modular course, consisting of two modules.
Harperley Hall is the NPIA's Forensic Centre and is based in County Durham just outside of a aptly named town of Crook. The centre is equipped with ten classrooms, a state of the art laboratory, conference rooms for one hundred and twenty people, accommodation for eighty people and a practical training block.
The practical training block (PTB) is a complete mock set of a real street. The street is home to a bar, a travel agents, a Dominos Pizza shop, a newspaper office and twelve identical bedrooms. Outside the shops is a road, complete with pavements, yellow lines, street signs and cars. The PTB is where CSIs are able to put into practise what they have been taught through classroom input from the instructors.
The course is well planned and prepared. Most of the instructors have performed the role of CSI for a number of years in forces across the country and now deliver the training to new CSIs.
As I have previously blogged, before attending the course, each student has to complete a pre-course workbook. This workbook encourages attachments to various departments within each force. This allows the CSIs to understand how their force performs certain tasks and the policies and procedures employed in their particular force. The workbook also aims to allow a basic understanding of photography and forensic recovery. This allows each student to be at the same level of understanding before the course starts so their knowledge can be developed at the same rate.
We covered fingerprinting techniques, footwear impression recovery, photography, DNA recovery, approaching scenes, preserving evidence and scenes, documenting findings and closing scenes. We also received input on how to obtain the most information surrounding a scene as possible by investigative interviewing of witnesses.
As CSIs we will undoubtedly have to attend court to give evidence during our career. During the course we attend two mock court sessions where the evidence we recovered at a scene was questioned by a defence and prosecution barrister. This was particularly interesting and made everyone nervous!
The input covered all of the skills required to successfully examine a scene and recover evidence. I'd love to go into detail about this but wouldn't want to give too much away and make it easier for people to minimise the evidence they leave at scenes!
If you have any specific questions surrounding the course, please ask and I will respond.
I have been to, and returned from the course, the dates of which will remain unknown to allow some anonymity.
The NPIA delivers a number of courses to forces across the UK and even some International forces. Before the implementation of the NPIA's training input for CSI's, each force would deliver their own input. This was beneficial to understanding local policies and procedures however there would be regional differences in the service provided. This was recognised by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC) and a recommendation was that CSIs should attend a National training course before becoming competent in the role.
Older CSI's or SOCOs (some forces still use this name) would attend a nine week residential course and become full CSIs when they left, meaning they could attend all volume crime (burglaries and theft etc) as well as all major crime (murder, rape, serious assaults and so on).
The new training input is divided into two courses, a five and four week residential course. Once CSI's have attended the five week course they are competent to perform the role of a Volume Crime Scene Investigator. There is then a recommended period of six months where these skills can be implemented in a CSI's own force area before they return to complete the four week course. Once this has been completed, the CSI is then competent to attend major scenes alone. This new approach is known as a modular course, consisting of two modules.
Harperley Hall is the NPIA's Forensic Centre and is based in County Durham just outside of a aptly named town of Crook. The centre is equipped with ten classrooms, a state of the art laboratory, conference rooms for one hundred and twenty people, accommodation for eighty people and a practical training block.
The practical training block (PTB) is a complete mock set of a real street. The street is home to a bar, a travel agents, a Dominos Pizza shop, a newspaper office and twelve identical bedrooms. Outside the shops is a road, complete with pavements, yellow lines, street signs and cars. The PTB is where CSIs are able to put into practise what they have been taught through classroom input from the instructors.
The course is well planned and prepared. Most of the instructors have performed the role of CSI for a number of years in forces across the country and now deliver the training to new CSIs.
As I have previously blogged, before attending the course, each student has to complete a pre-course workbook. This workbook encourages attachments to various departments within each force. This allows the CSIs to understand how their force performs certain tasks and the policies and procedures employed in their particular force. The workbook also aims to allow a basic understanding of photography and forensic recovery. This allows each student to be at the same level of understanding before the course starts so their knowledge can be developed at the same rate.
We covered fingerprinting techniques, footwear impression recovery, photography, DNA recovery, approaching scenes, preserving evidence and scenes, documenting findings and closing scenes. We also received input on how to obtain the most information surrounding a scene as possible by investigative interviewing of witnesses.
As CSIs we will undoubtedly have to attend court to give evidence during our career. During the course we attend two mock court sessions where the evidence we recovered at a scene was questioned by a defence and prosecution barrister. This was particularly interesting and made everyone nervous!
The input covered all of the skills required to successfully examine a scene and recover evidence. I'd love to go into detail about this but wouldn't want to give too much away and make it easier for people to minimise the evidence they leave at scenes!
If you have any specific questions surrounding the course, please ask and I will respond.
How to be a CSI?
People often ask me what experience, qualifications and training is required for the role of CSI in the UK.
Each Police force will advertise CSI vacancies as and when they become available. The role is very popular and as a result will attract many more applicants than other vacancies may. When I applied for my role, there were over six hundred applications.
It is important to understand the role and exactly what it entails. Many people have ideas about the role thanks to many popular television series, but I'd recommend the role be researched to understand what is fact and what is fiction.
Most vacancies can be found on the Internet, websites such as http://www.allpolicejobs.co.uk/ and Police force's own websites will advertise the roles.
Applicants should have the following:
GCSEs, A-Levels or Equivalent
Some forces ask for basic GCSE's which should include English, Maths and Science. A good grade in Science will be a great benefit.
Degree
Some Universities now offer courses in Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Science. Qualifications in such subjects will obviously help with your understand of the role and it;s demands. However, it is important to remember that a Degree alone will not guarantee you a career as a CSI and many CSIs do not have Degrees in the subject.
Photography
As the role will involve a lot of photography, a qualification in photography or experience will be an advantage over candidates without camera knowledge. Most forces now use digital cameras, so it is important to understand how to use them.
Communication
Once competent, CSI's often work alone and will visit most crime scenes without a crew mate. It is therefore important to be able to communicate effectively with people you haven't met before. Most people you will meet would have recently been a victim of crime so it is important to be sensitive and diplomatic.
Attention to Detail
A CSI will be expected to interpret and notice things that others do not. Attention to detail is imperative and can be the difference to piecing together what has happened a scene successfully or not.
Driving Licence
You will be expected to drive to Crime Scenes and will require a full UK or EU driving Licence.
The NPIA
The National Policing Improvement Agency instruct a total of 9 weeks residential training for all CSIs in UK Home forces and Non Geographical forces such as the Ministry of Defence Police and British Transport Police.
Completion of this course is often requested when a vacancy arises. This would obviously only be relevant to those who have previously been CSIs or are currently employed by another force.
Future Blog entries will include the content of the course provided by the NPIA.
Experience
It would be useful to have an understanding of the Criminal Justice System and in particular Policing in the UK. Police forces have many roles for staff members that are not sworn officer roles and would give you the experience you may need. The role of Special Constable is a great way to gain experience that many employers would value to no end.
See http://www.policespecials.co.uk/ or http://www.policecoulyou.co.uk/ for more information.
During your time as a CSI you can expect to see many things that may be disturbing or emotional. There may be times when you are the first person into a scene where someone has been fatally wounded or injured. Sometimes you will see things that maybe no one you know has ever seen. It is important to be able to deal with these things, professionally and without being attached emotionally. Modern Police forces have fantastic support networks and will provide any support required to it's staff.
Please, if I have missed something, reply via a comment and I will update to include an answer for you.
I hope this helps.
CSI Guy
Each Police force will advertise CSI vacancies as and when they become available. The role is very popular and as a result will attract many more applicants than other vacancies may. When I applied for my role, there were over six hundred applications.
It is important to understand the role and exactly what it entails. Many people have ideas about the role thanks to many popular television series, but I'd recommend the role be researched to understand what is fact and what is fiction.
Most vacancies can be found on the Internet, websites such as http://www.allpolicejobs.co.uk/ and Police force's own websites will advertise the roles.
Applicants should have the following:
GCSEs, A-Levels or Equivalent
Some forces ask for basic GCSE's which should include English, Maths and Science. A good grade in Science will be a great benefit.
Degree
Some Universities now offer courses in Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Science. Qualifications in such subjects will obviously help with your understand of the role and it;s demands. However, it is important to remember that a Degree alone will not guarantee you a career as a CSI and many CSIs do not have Degrees in the subject.
Photography
As the role will involve a lot of photography, a qualification in photography or experience will be an advantage over candidates without camera knowledge. Most forces now use digital cameras, so it is important to understand how to use them.
Communication
Once competent, CSI's often work alone and will visit most crime scenes without a crew mate. It is therefore important to be able to communicate effectively with people you haven't met before. Most people you will meet would have recently been a victim of crime so it is important to be sensitive and diplomatic.
Attention to Detail
A CSI will be expected to interpret and notice things that others do not. Attention to detail is imperative and can be the difference to piecing together what has happened a scene successfully or not.
Driving Licence
You will be expected to drive to Crime Scenes and will require a full UK or EU driving Licence.
The NPIA
The National Policing Improvement Agency instruct a total of 9 weeks residential training for all CSIs in UK Home forces and Non Geographical forces such as the Ministry of Defence Police and British Transport Police.
Completion of this course is often requested when a vacancy arises. This would obviously only be relevant to those who have previously been CSIs or are currently employed by another force.
Future Blog entries will include the content of the course provided by the NPIA.
Experience
It would be useful to have an understanding of the Criminal Justice System and in particular Policing in the UK. Police forces have many roles for staff members that are not sworn officer roles and would give you the experience you may need. The role of Special Constable is a great way to gain experience that many employers would value to no end.
See http://www.policespecials.co.uk/ or http://www.policecoulyou.co.uk/ for more information.
During your time as a CSI you can expect to see many things that may be disturbing or emotional. There may be times when you are the first person into a scene where someone has been fatally wounded or injured. Sometimes you will see things that maybe no one you know has ever seen. It is important to be able to deal with these things, professionally and without being attached emotionally. Modern Police forces have fantastic support networks and will provide any support required to it's staff.
Please, if I have missed something, reply via a comment and I will update to include an answer for you.
I hope this helps.
CSI Guy
Update
Thanks to those who have followed my blog so far, I know it is still early days and there are only a small number of posts but it is pleasing to know people appreciate reading it.
I have been in my force now for just under six months. In this time I have had to complete a workbook. The workbook consisted of 11 modules. Each module concentrated on a specific subject or department within the Police or Criminal Justice System.
For example, I completed attachments with CID, the Intelligence Unit and the Fingerprint Bureau. I was required to complete a workbook for each department which confirmed my understanding of each topic.
Early in 2010 I will be attending my training at a national training centre with the National Police Improvment Agency (NPIA)
There will be othe CSIs from other forces on the course also. The course is a five week residential course. Once I have completed this I will be expected to work towards another workbook and attend colume crime scenes alone for approximately six months. Once I complete the second workbook I will return to the NPIA for a further four weeks, after which I can attend major crime scenes alone when required.
I am very much looking forward to attending my training and will keep you all updated whilst I am there. You can find out more here.
CSI Guy
I have been in my force now for just under six months. In this time I have had to complete a workbook. The workbook consisted of 11 modules. Each module concentrated on a specific subject or department within the Police or Criminal Justice System.
For example, I completed attachments with CID, the Intelligence Unit and the Fingerprint Bureau. I was required to complete a workbook for each department which confirmed my understanding of each topic.
Early in 2010 I will be attending my training at a national training centre with the National Police Improvment Agency (NPIA)
There will be othe CSIs from other forces on the course also. The course is a five week residential course. Once I have completed this I will be expected to work towards another workbook and attend colume crime scenes alone for approximately six months. Once I complete the second workbook I will return to the NPIA for a further four weeks, after which I can attend major crime scenes alone when required.
I am very much looking forward to attending my training and will keep you all updated whilst I am there. You can find out more here.
CSI Guy
CSI: USA
CSI: USA
I arrived at 2250 hours after a hard day riding roller coaster after roller coaster at a large USA Theme Park. I managed to squeeze in a few hours sleep after dinner. We followed a couple of Police vehicles into the rear yard, there was a church bus type vehicle behind us.
The Police Department car park was buzzing with activity. It was the shift change time. In the USA, Police Officers are allocated their own vehicle and take it home at the end of the shift.
I found an Officer in the car park and told him who I was and who I was there to meet. He took me to the CSI Department to meet Frank, Merissa and Jerry. Frank is the supervisor and Merissa and Jerry are Crime Scene Technicians (CSTs)
I arrived at 2250 hours after a hard day riding roller coaster after roller coaster at a large USA Theme Park. I managed to squeeze in a few hours sleep after dinner. We followed a couple of Police vehicles into the rear yard, there was a church bus type vehicle behind us.
The Police Department car park was buzzing with activity. It was the shift change time. In the USA, Police Officers are allocated their own vehicle and take it home at the end of the shift.
I found an Officer in the car park and told him who I was and who I was there to meet. He took me to the CSI Department to meet Frank, Merissa and Jerry. Frank is the supervisor and Merissa and Jerry are Crime Scene Technicians (CSTs)
I was surprised to see that there were only two CSTs and one Supervisor on a night shift in this large City.
There are three shifts in this department, an early shift, a late shift and a night shift. This provides maximum resilience for any incidents that may take place. CSTs are aligned to a shift permanently, so a CST who is on nights, will always do nights.
At the moment, in the UK most CSI departments do not work night shifts and instead have CSIs on standby over night. There is mention in my force of night shift working, which will negate the need to be on standby. I am quite looking forward to it, this should allow CSIs to plan their free time better. At the moment, if you are on standby, you may or may not be called out.
Unfortunately, like most public authorities, Frank's office has seen some budget cuts and job losses. His shift use to have five. One thing is sure though, crime will continue regardless of the economic problems. Some would say that crime increases in times of economic turn down.
Frank showed me around the department.
Through the report writing room was where the evidence lockers were. There were lockers of various sizes, some with padlocks and some without. Those with padlocks had evidence contained within. When a CST recovers items from a scene, it is stored within these lockers between examinations. Each time the locker is opened, it is logged and recorded for continuity purposes.
Through the evidence room was a ballistics room, where found and seized guns are test fired. This use to be done by an external agency, but Frank's department has recently taken delivery of the equipment which enables them to do this.
Then there was a corridor with various rooms along it's length. The CSI department here is based where the firing range use to be, this explains it's odd layout.
The next room was the 'Ninhydrin Room' where various chemicals were used to develop fingerprints and other crime scene marks. Ninhydrin is the most common chemical used to develop prints. I will blog about Ninhydrin in my next couple of posts - it's interesting! Also in this room was a superglue fuming cabinet. Superglue can be used for some surfaces to develop fingerprints and other marks.
The last room we looked in was the powdering room. When items are recovered from a scene they are developed here using various powders and brushes to find fingerprints.
I was interested to see that the CSTs here do the chemical work themselves. In my force we have a separate department who will take items suitable for chemical development and treat them on behalf of the CSIs. This includes Ninhydrin, superglue, soot removal, metal disposition and other dyes.
After the tour of the department Frank asked me to sign a waiver. The waiver was only one side of A4, but in short, I was signing to waive any rights if I was injured or killed whilst on the ride along with him.........
Shortly after this, we went to look around the vehicles. The CSTs drive marked Police vehicles. The only difference on the CSI department's vehicles to the Police Officer's vehicles is the addition of 'Crime Scene Unit' The vehicles have light bars, but with red and white lights. In this State, only Police Officers use blue lights, the Fire, Ambulance and other emergency vehicles (e.g Crime Scene Unit) use white and red lights.
The vans are large Fords, big enough to hold all the kit a CST may need and any evidence they may recover. In my force, we drive small unmarked vans.
I asked why they had marked vans. Frank explained that there was a debate as to whether they should be marked or not. Merissa said she preferred mark vehicles, and went on to explain that as she is often single crewed, she feels safer knowing that people know she works for the City's Police Department. Some of the areas she drives are rough, car jackings happen a lot. If she was in an unmarked van she may be victim to a car jacking, whereas, you'd hope that most offenders would avoid car jacking a marked Police vehicle!
Frank took me out in his vehicle, this was a 4x4 and was still marked, with the addition of 'Supervisor' on the front wing. I approached the left hand side of the vehicle and Frank pointed out that the passenger seat was on the other side in the USA! It was late...
Frank took me on a tour of the City and showed me the areas where most of his work is carried out. Like here in the UK, some areas suffer more crime than others
We visited a number of places, one of which was the Medical Examiner's (ME) office. The ME's office was brand new, the offices had only been open a few weeks. The ME's office is where post mortems are carried out.
Sadly, the evening passed without event. Not a single job came in that required the CSI department. It was however a great pleasure to meet some colleagues from outside the UK. I hope to continue the relationship and keep in touch with each member of Frank's shift.
I was especially thankful for the breakfast at Denny' and the starbucks coffee!
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