How to Become a Crime Scene Investigator

Do detective shows attract you? Do you also wish to enter the world of suspense and solve crime mysteries then the crime scene investigator profile is perfect for you. Becoming an investigator that too a specialist in the inspection of a crime scene is not an easy task. To become such an expert you need to gain some special set of skills and get a desired degree in the same domain. Here in this blog, we have mentioned the detailed procedure for becoming a crime scene investigator, salary, and top recruiters.

Who is a Crime Scene Investigator?

Forensic Scientists who analyze the crime scene and look for every minute detail are known as crime scene investigators. These people collect the evidence from the scene and preserve it for future reference so that they can help in the investigation of the case. These pieces of evidence are also presented as proof in the court of law to defend the victim. These specialists can work either in government agencies or private organizations depending on their interest.

How to Become a Crime Scene Investigator?

These experts work in serious conditions and hence require special training and educational background. As this profession deals with critical situations, these professionals are required to be trained in such a manner that they can solve the crime easily that too by presenting precise readings. Here we have given the detailed procedure that needs to be followed by candidates to become a crime scene investigator.

Get a Bachelor’s Degree in Forensics:

To become such an expert, candidates need to first complete their basic educational qualification. Candidates need to first get a degree in forensics from a recognized university. To get admission in this field, students need to fulfill the basic eligibility criteria as mentioned below:

Eligibility Required:

• Candidates need to pass their class 10th and 12th with a science background from a recognized board with at least 50% aggregate marks.

Candidates have the option of getting a degree in either online or offline mode. The forensics course can be done in full-time, part-time, and distance mode. Candidates can opt for any of the course options depending on their availability.

Complete Your Training/Internship:

It is rightly said getting bookish knowledge is not enough for someone to excel in their field. If someone wishes to give their hundred percent to something, they need to acquire the skills required for the task. To do so, candidates are advised to get training or internships in their respective fields. Candidates can do so right after completing their graduation from a well-known institute. They can work as an intern with reputed government or private organizations. The internship period can range from 6 months to 2 years in any of the desired fields.

Complete Certification in Desired Specialization:

After getting your degree in forensics, you should earn a certificate in any of the specializations of crime scene investigation that you wish to pursue. For example, you can get certification in specialization like bloodstain analysis, fingerprint analysis, photography, evidence collection, etc. These certifications help you gain a better understanding of the scene investigation process thus making you a better professional.

Get A License:

There are many states that ask for mandatory registration of crime scene investigators. Thus you need to get a license from your respective state to start your career as a crime scene investigator. Failing to do so may lead to your candidature disqualification and you will not be able to investigate the cases along with the police and crime branch department of the state.

Get a Master’s Degree In Forensics:

Candidates also have the option of getting a master’s degree in their respective fields. For this, you can opt for M.Sc., M.Tech., M.Phil., or PhD from a recognized institute. Getting a master’s degree will give you an upper hand in this field as organizations will love to work with professionals who have a better understanding and skill set. The salary offered to you will also be better than a person working with a bachelor’s degree. Students need to fulfill the mentioned criteria for getting admission to post-graduate courses:

Start The Job:

After completing all the steps mentioned above you are good to go. Now you can apply for the jobs that you find interesting. You can work with any of the organizations, and for this, you need to appear for the job interview and crack it. As a crime scene investigator, you will be working majorly in the field.

Skills Required To Become A Crime Scene Investigator:

Apart from fulfilling the educational qualification criteria, candidates need to acquire a set of skills as well. These skills help a candidate to grow as a professional. While working in such a serious environment, the candidates need to handle the situation calmly and hence these skills are important. Here we have mentioned some of the important skills that a candidate needs to have to become a good crime investigator:

• Communication Skills: These experts need to have good communication skills as they need to deal with a lot of people. Their interaction with people ranges from their colleagues to witnesses, suspects, lawyers, police personnel, judges, etc. Hence it becomes quite important for them to know how to communicate with people.
• Critical Thinker: Your role as an investigating expert is not going to be easy. This field requires efforts from individuals and one of the most important skills required by the candidates is to be a critical thinker. The primary demand of your role is your perspective and thought process. You need to be a critical and analytical thinker to solve the cases. Crime scene investigation is not an easy task and requires an individual to have a sharp mind so that he can connect the dots of the case just by examining the scene.
• Attentive: Only visiting a site is not sufficient and there will be multiple things lying there waiting for you. But to solve a case you need to pay attention to every detail as the clues that will be helpful in case solving will not be easily available for you. For this, you need to work hard and attentively analyze the crime scene so that you can collect the evidence that will help in the investigation of the case.
• Well Versed With Legal knowledge: As you will be dealing with the crimes that fall under the jurisdiction of the law, you also need to learn the law of the land. Acquiring legal knowledge helps you to understand which evidence can be used under which section of IPC or CrPC and can further help in serving justice to the victim. The listing and presenting of the evidence is done on the basis of the laws and not as per the will of an investigator, hence it will be beneficial for you if you acquire the necessary knowledge of the law.
• An Expert Evaluator: If you have this assumption that you will be required to visit the crime scene and collect the evidence from the site and your job will be done, then you are wrong. Your job is not only about the collection of the evidence, but it is about how you link the evidence with the scene, victim, and the suspect thus presenting your findings to the investigators and helping in case solving. Thus you need to be an expert evaluator as well.

Role and Responsibilities of a Crime Scene Investigator?

The scope of forensics is wide and so are the roles and responsibilities of crime investigator. The task of these people majorly lies in the fieldwork. They analyze the crime scenes, look for each and every detail, and try to connect the dots through the set of evidence they collect from the scene. They work in a very serious and critical environment. Some of their major roles are mentioned below:

• Examining the crime scene,
• Determine the objects you need to pick as evidence,
• Look for the fingerprints, bloodstains, bullets,
• Analyze the body and the surrounding environment,
• Photograph the crime scene and the corpse to draw a detailed diagram of the crime,
• Testify in the court,
• Preserve the scene so that it does not get tampered with by external people,
• Document all the evidence and findings,
• Cooperate and collaborate with law enforcement agencies,
• Take measurements of each scene and evidence,
• Attend and document the autopsies.

References:

• https://asuonline.asu.edu/ newsroom/online-learning-tips /how-to-become-crime-scene-investigator/
• https://www.gmercyu.edu/acade mics/learn/crime-scene-investigator-career-guide
• https://www.nu.edu/blog/crime-scene-investigator/
• https://www.indeed.com/ career-advice/career-development/ how-to-become-a-crime-scene-investigator
• https://www.crime-scene- investigator.net/becomeone.html