Career as a Crime Scene Investigator

If you are an avid fan of the CSI TV shows, you may have heard of terms such as crime scene investigators and wondered what they are and what they do.

In this article, I will explain what a crime scene investigator is and describe what they do.

A crime scene investigator (CSI) also known as a crime scene technician is a person whose job is to visit crime scenes and gather evidence. If you get a job as a CSI, do not expect that you will have a 9-to-5 schedule. You will be on call and work odd hours of the day or night. It is part of your job duties to assist police in securing the crime scene and protecting, preserving, and gathering the evidence. It is your responsibility to know how to work a crime scene, recognize, gather, and transport evidence. You must also know how to maintain the chain of custody of the evidence. You must have working knowledge in exposing, photographing, and collecting latent (not visible to the naked eye) fingerprints, using a special kind of light source and chemical techniques. In a nutshell, CSI’s deal with many kinds of evidence at crime scenes.

You can get a job as a CSI by studying for a degree in forensic science or becoming a law enforcement officer. Depending on the employer, some jurisdictions employ only police officers as crime scene specialists. By becoming a police officer and getting a forensic science degree, you can increase your chances of getting a job as a CSI. It is very helpful if you know how to take crime scene photographs. Keep in mind that many jurisdictions lack funding to employ somebody for every job. Therefore, the more skills you have, the better.

With advances in science, there is a big demand for crime scene investigators who are adept in the laboratory sciences.