CSI and forensic scientist...?

Question

what is the difference between a forensic scientist and a CSI? I am interested in this kind of thing and i just want to be sure...please give details and your opinion on which one would probably be more fun. lol, i know kind of wierd but i want to know any way...

Answer 1

Forensic scientists (eg. forensic physicists, chemists, biologists etc) work in laboratories processing evidence from crime scenes. They usually have a MSc or PhD (sometimes only a BSc) in their field of specialty. They are usually civillians, not uniformed officers. On the original CSI Greg was a forensic scientist...the "lab rat"!

CSIs (crime scene investigators) are the people who actually go to a crime scene and collect evidence to be processed. In Canada these are always sworn police officers, never civillians. They may or may not have a post-secondary degree but will have been extensively trained in proper techniques for examination and collection of evidence. On CSI Sara, Grissom, Catherine, Warrick & Nick are CSIs.

As for which would be more fun, it's really a matter of preference. I'm a forensic anthropology major which means I will (hopefully) be working in a morgue or similar situation processing skeletonized remains. If I'm lucky I'll get to go into the field to collect the remains and keep the context and if I'm not a cop will dump a box of bones on my desk and ask who it is and how they died. I also have a minor in biology that I can use to work in a lab processing biological evidence. I am not interested in becoming a cop and so that automatically ruled out being a CSI for me.

Also keep in mind that even though there is a lot of overlap on tv, CSIs only investigate scenes and collect evidence. They rarely process the evidence once it's in the lab and the *never* interrogate suspects in their case! This is because of the potential for cross contamination. A defense lawyer can argue that the CSI picked up fibres/hairs or whatever from the suspect during an interrogation and then transferred them to the evidence during processing. Everything is very compartmentalized. Evidence from the suspect is not even processed in the same room or by the same person as evidence from the scene/victim. CSI and all other forensic dramas on tv are horribly fake so make sure you know what you're getting yourself into! It's not as glamorous as it looks (bunny suits, booties and latex gloves are so not hot).

Answer 2

Usually the forensic scientist works in a laboratory where they examine the items from the crime scene. The crime scene investigator is the person who collects the items / evidence from the crime scene.