 | Scott Pike
has been the Director of the Technical Services Bureau with the Wichita Police Department since December of 2001. He was a Crime Scene Investigator from 1998-2001. He has previously been a fire investigator with the Sedgwick County Fire Department from 1979-1991 and was Chief of Prevention for the Kansas State Fire Marshal Department from 1996-7. He has a Master of Public Administration degree and a Bachelor of General Studies degree from Wichita State University, and an Associate Degree in Fire Science Technology from Butler County Community College. He is also an adjunct instructor in Fire Science at Butler County Community College. You may contact Scott at (316) 268-4673. |
Wichita Police Department
2003-01-01 11:30:00
Is CSI close to how it is?
: How close is the show 'CSI' to what actually happens in many crime and murder investigations?
ANSWER: The television shows on crime scene investigators have done a lot to increase the knowledge of viewers to the actions required to successfully prosecute violent crimes. Crime scene investigators and forensic specialists work behind the scenes and their functions have traditionally been credited to the detectives working the case. Crime scene investigators play the key role in documenting the crime scene through photographs and diagrams. They are also responsible for identifying, collecting, and preserving key evidence from the primary crime scene and also from secondary locations associated with the crime. The examiners, professionals who compare items such as fingerprints, firearms, blood, DNA, footwear, and tire tread impressions, try to tie the evidence collected by the investigators to a specific person or object.On television the crime scene investigators play the role of being the investigator and the examiner. The Hollywood CSI is an expert in many different fields and disciplines. In real life it takes several individuals to carry out the functions. Examiners may be dually trained in fields, but they commonly do not have the expertise required to be a chemist or serologist. The functions performed by the single Hollywood CSI would require three or more individuals in real life.The tools and equipment used on television are actual items used by crime scene investigators. Occasionally the Hollywood CSI will use the equipment beyond its capability or in a manner that it was not designed for and they will still get the results needed for their television story. The time frame of the results from the equipment is significantly shorter on television. An example of this is DNA results. In real life the testing may take months to complete where it takes a matter of minutes on television. Another example is with fingerprint comparisons. When the Hollywood CSI runs a fingerprint through the computer it comes back with one individual and gives all of the information needed to locate the person. In all actuality, when a fingerprint is run through the computer there may be several different suspects identified by the computer. It is then the responsibility of the latent fingerprint examiner to obtain the fingerprint cards of those identified by the computer and compare the latent print from the crime scene with the cards of the possible suspects to make a positive match. This is a time consuming process.CSI's and examiners do not question the victims, witnesses, or the suspects of crime. These functions are performed by the patrol officer's at the scene and/or by detectives. Information needed for the CSI to process a scene is obtained from the Officer or Detective and passed on to the CSI. The scene is then processed on the information given by the Officer or Detective. Television has done a lot to increase the image of those associated with the behind scenes investigation of crimes. While those in the profession view the dramas with some skepticism, we understand that it is for entertainment and that we may be able to identify a new use for our equipment and even learn of new equipment that we can obtain.
