You are the Captain of the Sheriff’s Department Forensic Science Laboratory that provides professional forensic analysis of physical evidence on a 24-hour, seven-day a week basis. To assist in making this possible, the laboratory operates a mobile crime laboratory that will respond to any crime scene. The crime scene investigators collect, preserve and tag evidence, document the scene with photographs, video tape, crime scene sketching, and analyze evidence.
• From the Crime Scene Investigation section above, it states, “there remains great variability in crime scene investigation practices, along with persistent concerns that the lack of standards and proper training at the crime scene can contribute to the difficulties of drawing accurate conclusions once evidence is subjected to forensic laboratory methods”. Does this present an ethical issue?
• Is there a lack of standards for crime scene investigations? Is this a problem?
• What are the elements of a certification program?
• What are the elements of a bloodstain pattern training program?
• What about the cost and time of such a certification process?
• Is it worth the cost? Should states or the Federal government mandate certification?
• Should it require an associate, baccalaureate, or no degree?
• Should it require training programs? How long? How often?
• Annual proficiency tests?
• Moot court training?
