So You Want to be a CSI?

Crime scene investigation isn't an academic, cut-and-dry process. There is no set of ideal procedures that universally applies to all crime scene processing.  Isn't it time for a textbook that reflected that? So You Want to be a CSI? presents Crime Scene Investigation as students would encounter it in the real world, where inclement weather, poor scene security, lack of proper equipment and packing materials, and rodent-invested crime scenes all impact the role of the CSI. It combines the expertise of its three authors, who have 45 years of combined crime scene investigation experience, to prepare students for the field, dismantling the myths of the profession created by television shows and the media. Chapters include four overarching, fundamental topics: Before Entering the Crime Scene, Biological Evidence, Crime Scene Photography, and Crime Scene Search. So You Want to be a CSI? not only provides a foundation for future crime scene investigators, but it also authentically explains the daily challenges and rewards of this fascinating career. In addition, there is also a virtual component available consisting of virtual crime scenes that allow students to put course concepts into practice.  Check out author Leggie Boone's podcast appearance! View a webinar on the authors' experiences as Crime Scene Investigators: View Webinar

Table of Contents:
CHAPTER 1: BEFORE ENTERING THE CRIME SCENE Background Brief Crime Scene Investigation in Real Life In the Beginning: The Bill of Rights Exceptions to a Search Warrant Laws Regarding Forensic Testimony The Bottom Line CHAPTER 2: THE ROLE OF FIRST RESPONDERS AND CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS The Point of this Chapter First Responders Universal Precautions Infectious Diseases and Airborne Pathogens Police Officer Role Crime Scene Investigator Role Other Forensic Science Disciplines Education Forensic Organizations Certifications Performing the duties of the position Initial Survey of the Scene Recognizing Potential Evidence 360-degree survey Types of Evidence Classifications of Evidence Reminders The Bottom Line CHAPTER 3: CRIME SCENE SEARCH Linkage Theory Locard’s Principle Scene Walk-Through Crime Scene Search Techniques The Bottom Line CHAPTER 4: CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY Background Brief Digital Cameras Crime Scene Photography Evidence Placards Documentation Strategies Photographing People Perspectives and Lighting Environmental Challenges Digital Enhancement Videography The Bottom Line CHAPTER 5: DOCUMENTATION AND EVIDENCE RECOVERY The Point of This Chapter Common Forms and Logs Chain of Custody Barcoding Systems for Evidence Management Other Documentation Packaging of Evidence When Considering Packaging Options, Ask Yourself These Questions Digital Evidence Recovery Accreditation The Bottom Line CHAPTER 6: CRIME SCENE SKETCHING Rough Sketch vs. Final Sketch Scope of the Scene Types of Scenes Equipment for Sketching Three Different Traditional Measurement Systems Three Types of Traditional Sketches The Bottom Line CHAPTER 7: BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE: DNA FAQ Historical Brief OK. I Guess My Next Question Should Be About What DNA Is, but I Don’t Need a Thesis Either! Seriously? You’re Going to Throw More Big Words My Way for Me to Explain to the Jury? What Kinds of Biological Stuff Has DNA in It? Where Do I Look to Find DNA at the Crime Scene? What Can I Use to Help Find Biological Materials? What If It Looks Like a Biological Fluid, but We Aren’t Sure? Once I Find Biologicals, How Do I Recover the Evidence Properly? What If the Biological Fluid Is Already Dry? Should I Swab the Whole Blood Drop up to Make Sure I Get It All? This DNA Typing Is Fantastic! I’m Just Gonna Swab Everything I Recover! What Is Touch DNA? Who Decides What Evidence Is Processed for DNA? So, CSIs Recover the DNA, and Labs Process the DNA, but How Do We Find out Who Matches the DNA Profile? How Long Does It Take From DNA Recovery on the Scene to the Arrest of the Suspect? The Bottom Line CHAPTER 8: FINGERPRINTS The Point of This Chapter Basics of Fingerprints What Are Fingerprints? Morphology/Physiology Types of Prints as Evidence (Latent, Patent, Plastic, Etched, Inked) Fingerprint Patterns Fingerprint Classification Latent Prints Surfaces Chemicals Photographing Latent Prints No Prints Latent Print Examination Comparison Evaluation Verification Known to Known Comparison Automated Fingerprint Identification System Deceased Fingerprints The Geek Aspect of Latent Prints The Bottom Line Activities Questions References CHAPTER 9: IMPRESSION EVIDENCE Historical Impression Evidence Types of Impression Evidence Footwear Impressions Examination Quality Photographs for Impression Evidence Casting Impressions Special Circumstances When Casting Snow Impressions Impressions Made in Blood Tire Track Impressions Track and Trail Toolmark Impressions Fabric Impressions The Bottom Line CHAPTER 10: TRACE EVIDENCE What is Trace Evidence? Types of Evidence Common Types of Trace Evidence What do the results mean? Hairs and Fibers Paint Glass Soil Additional Examples of Trace Evidence Historical Problems with Trace Evidence Activity References CHAPTER 11: FIREARMS EVIDENCE Historical Brief: A Tale of Two Ballistic Examiners Safety First Types of Firearms Terminology and How Firearms Work Recovering a Firearm Ballistics CHAPTER 12: DEATH INVESTIGATION Historical Brief Physical Trauma and Death Investigations Physical Trauma Sharp Force Gunshot Wounds Blunt Force Death Investigations Time of Death Estimations Decomposition The Bottom Line CHAPTER 13: RECONSTRUCTION Historical Brief Reconstruction Trajectory Analysis Reconstruction with Glass Fracture Evidence Blood Pattern Interpretation CHAPTER 14: LOOKING BACK, AND THE PATH FORWARD Taking the ‘Junk’ Out of ‘Junk Science’ Perceptions of CSIs Coping Mechanisms The Bottom Line References GLOSSARY INDEX

About the Author :
Susan Clutter received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Clark University and a Master’s Degree in Forensic Science from the George Washington University. She worked as a CSI for the Montgomery County and Baltimore City Police Departments in MD before becoming a college professor in 2003. She has taught at various colleges in the Maryland and Virginia area, and has taught forensic courses for the Virginia Fire Marshal Academy and the State Department. Her specialty areas include Crime Scene Investigation, Blood Pattern Interpretation, and Fire Science. Susan is now an Associate Professor in the Forensic Science program at Youngstown State University. She has one 16 year old son and a very bossy corgi. Dr. Leggie [Leh ‘jee] Boone is a Forensic Analyst for a sheriff’s office in Florida. She has been involved in forensic sciences since 1993, including overlapping years as a crime scene investigator and educator in Baltimore, Maryland. Crime Scene Investigation found her shortly after completing her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, while she worked toward her initial journey: Veterinary Science. As a civilian investigator, she learned her city, her law enforcement family, and self-reliance in coping with the tragedies of criminal violations daily. Sometimes, that method of decompression included writing songs, writing poetry, or dreaming graphically detailed dreams and journaling them. When her daughter was born, she left the hectic schedule of being a Forensic Services Supervisor, pharmacy assistant, and adjunct professor to teach full-time. Teaching high school and college sciences inspired the pursuit of her Master’s degree in Forensic Science. In 2008, she moved to Florida where she returned to crime scenes and was recruited to become a Forensic Analyst with her current agency. She has also been active in her community through the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and NAACP memberships, and affiliation with multiple civic organizations. Boone attained her Ph.D. and Master of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration, in Criminal Justice, with the goal of improving policies and curricula in collegiate forensic sciences and law enforcement agency crime scene investigation training. Through it all, she is still dreaming vividly with plans to produce volumes for interpretation, enlightenment or entertainment. She is inspired by the constant support of her mother and daughter, both named Leggie, and is driven by her faith to be an author, a leader, and an agent of social change. David McGill received his BA at the University of Maryland at College Park, and his MFS in forensic Science at The George Washington University. He has over two decades of forensic examination experience, with a specialization in Footwear and Tire Track Examination. He is a Police Training Commission Certified Instructor, and in addition to his publication with Kendall Hunt, he also has published several research articles on Crime Scene Investigation.