Crime scene investigator?

Question

I have been checking the internet and every site I check I get different answers. I was wondering what exactly do Crime scene investigators (CSI) (SOCO) do?

Answer 1

In the UK, it's nothing like what you see on drama series, they are evidence gathers for the detectives, lifting fingerprints and other various samples from crime scenes.

See the attached link for a UK based SOCO officer.......

http://www.sussex.police.uk/features/spe...

Answer 2

They are basically forensic investigators, although they are called various different names, and each forces may have slightly different duties for them to carry out. The look for evidence, footprints, fingerprints etc etc - they don't do the actual investigating of the crime, just find and document evidence from the scene.

Answer 3

They examine crime scenes and gather evidence of the offence in question.  This includes photographing the scene, taking measurements if necessary and recovering exhibits that may contain traces of the suspect or the victim.  

Their work is based on science and the principles of a scientist called Edmond Locard whose theory stated 'every contact leaves a trace'.  In other words when something touches something else, a trace of each item is left on the other.  In terms of forensic examinations, if a suspect touches a victim or a scene of a crime, a trace of both will be left on the other, skin, DNA, skin cells, clothing fibres etc.  Its this kind of thing that crime scene examiners look for.

This link is about Locard:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_Loca...

Answer 4

First, get some more realistic perspective than television. The "investigator" on a crime scene is one of more detectives. IF the agency has crime scene techs, they will search for and secure physical evidence. They may do this largely on their own, or they may do nothing unless they are told to do it by the detective, or it may be anything in between. Occasionally, one or another forensic specialist will actually come to the scene, but it's not too common. A blood pattern analyst is one example, since the documentation work in their field is specialized.

So, in general, there's no answer to what "crime scene investigators" do, because the television CSI job description hardly ever exists. Crime scene techs collect physical evidence and document scenes. Detectives investigate. And criminalists test and analyze. The reason you get different answers on the Internet is that (1) CSI themes are used as teaching themes to encourage learning, and it has to be made to sound exciting, (2) school are recruiting for thousands of forensics degree programs and (surprise!) have to make it sound exciting (Where ARE all these people going to work?), and (3) anyone can post anything on the Internet, whether they know anything or not.  

Answer 5

Crime Scene Investigator's,Forensic Scientist's member's of a SOCO (Scene Of Crime Officer), call it what you want they all do the same thing. They are there to Collect,Analise and be a Specialist Witness in a Court. They can do anything from Investigating Murder's to Fingerprinting 20,00 note's for Finger prints for 2 week's straight. Being a CSI is long,hard,monotonous and low pay. But on the other hand, I've enjoyed studying Forensic Science.

The most common misconception is that we try and work out what happened. We don't! we give UN biased information in court and let the jury decide. We don't give our opinion's,observation's or theories. We give the evidence we collected and let the court's do the rest.

Answer 6

They investigate and process crime scenes.  They are usually called out for felonies with apparent items to process.  Some items can be taken by patrol and processed later.  It's not as exciting as it seems tho, it's tedious and often the crime scene isn't very rewarding, ie, fingerprints aren't always "legible" due to smudging ect.

Answer 7

They are the ones who till determine the fate of the victim as to how it happened, why it happened and make a final report.

Answer 8

These are the people that do the preliminary work in the scene of the crime, often taking photos and collecting evidence. They are the ones that pick up the puzzle pieces for homicide units to put together.