CSI training, from proper equipment usage and forensic documentation, to eliminating human bias, is a multifaceted process. Public-private partnerships that help shape in-classroom curriculum and in-field simulations is one solution driving systemic change and is an initiative FARO® and Virginia-based George Mason University have recently achieved.
But even without such partnerships, agencies and departments alike can begin their own internal conversations about their CSI training now. At stake is nothing less than the public trust to which law enforcement takes an oath to uphold.
Here are five steps your agency or department should be doing right now to enhance data collection and analysis methods as well as how to convert that information into compelling, unbiased narratives, fit for courtroom presentations and other stakeholders throughout the judicial system:
- Evaluate your current process for obtaining measurements: Ask yourself questions like: Does the process you use offer known error rates? Do you have the ability to obtain additional measurements without returning to the scene? What does the solution you use offer you in the future if the case goes cold? Can you “revisit” the scene virtually and make additional observations from the data? If you woke up tomorrow and found your agency at the center of a high-profile case, would you be prepared and proud of how you'd respond and how you'd represent your community? Does the data you currently have protect your agency and your officers in the age of complete transparency and accountability? Can you incorporate other data, drone data, body camera footage, etc., into your existing process to corroborate or refute witness statements?
- Re-assess your process for training your team and maintaining proficiency: Are you playing technology telephone with your learning by transferring knowledge informally through a “hand me down” process? What vital information is lost through this method and are you prepared for the time those who possess the knowledge move on? Do you have a formal process or a manufacturer certification which can aid investigators when testifying in court? Do you have set standards to meet through ISO or other compliance outlets?
- Examine your process for data analysis: Do you have software available that is backed with validations, white papers and scientific research, which can assist in accurate analysis of data to make a determination of what events occurred in the crime? Does the method you use provide a value to your agency in the form of time savings, officer safety, cases won or justice served through the presentation of precise data and fact backed assertions?
- Analyze your process for data storage and sharing: Is the data you collect stored in a secure way that will be readily available over time and easily accessible by the right people when they need it? The power of data lies not in the holding on to it, but in the sharing of the information to the people that need it. Communication is key in solving cases and facilitating justice.
- Know your process for interpreting and translating the data for others: Remember, that data collection is HALF the job. We must translate the story for the people tasked with making important decisions — judges, jurors and key players in the judicial system. Do you have tools to present the data in a way that tells the true story? The job of the investigator is not done when the scene is cleared, but when the facts of the evidence are transmitted to the jury — and many times we need demonstrative aids to assist with this task. We are better equipped now more than ever to do this with 3D data, virtual fly-through videos, witness perspectives, and more. You don't have to jump to virtual reality — but you can take steps in that direction. How you present your case speaks volumes to the jury. You wouldn't testify in shorts and a T-shirt. Why would you present your data informally with a hand drawn sketch?
With roots that stretch back to ancient Egypt when the first unofficial autopsies were conducted, all the way up to 1910 when Edmond Locard developed the forensic principle that “every contact leaves a trace,” and established the world's first crime laboratory, crime scene investigation has a rich history. But as important as that history is, it's equally important it informs future CSI growth and not smother it.
Crime scene investigation, like all sciences, is an evolving discipline. As we move deeper into the 21st century, new technologies and new principles of forensic technique will continue to be developed. Keeping in mind a five-point checklist like this is a wise way to ensure your crime scene investigation tactics remain on track — now and in the decades ahead.