So your student wants to be a crime scene technician?

Security in the Evolution of the Criminal Justice Curriculum

“…However, there are other possible reasons. Several surveys conducted in the late 1980s indicated that crime laboratories preferred employees who held science degrees with a chemistry or biology emphasis followed by on-the-job training (Capsambelis, 2002) and even preferred those who had not taken college level criminalistics (Lindquist, 1994). Lambert et al (2003) later surveyed law enforcement departments in Michigan and found that some forensic science awareness was considered important though less than half seemed inclined toward applicants who came prepared with that knowledge.…”

“…As a result, there was no movement within the profession to change the standards from training and in-service experience to a degreed credential. Further, the curriculum proposals that were developed proved to be a poor fit for both criminal justice professors' backgrounds and abilities and the students' skills and aptitudes (Capsambelis, 2002). 1 Overall, the responsibility for these specialty markets was often tied to one or two new hires in the faculty and, once these faculty departed, the program was left without the ability to carry on the specialty.…”

Building Bridges Between Criminal Justice and the Forensic Sciences to Create Forensic Studies Programs1

“…Crime Scene Technician Programs Capsambelis (2002) described the creation of a program designed to train crime scene technicians, or those (non-sworn) personnel responsible for processing evidence at crime scenes. After analyzing the necessary attributes and skills of crime scene technicians, an 11-course core curriculum was developed and implemented at the community-college level.…”

“…Moreover, given their highly applied nature, there is an argument to be made that crime-scene technology does not fit well within the liberal arts tradition into which criminology and criminal justice have been moving since the early 1980s (e.g., Clear 2001). That said, college and universities could offer baccalaureate degree programs in crime-scene technology that integrated the study of criminology and criminal justice into the core courses recommended by Capsambelis (2002). Indeed, a few institutions have begun to do so.…”

Enhancing Information Retention of Forensic Science Students: Incorporating a Simulated Crime Scene Practicum in the College Classroom

“…As more people pursue crime scene investigator type of work, the use of a mock practicum has also increased due primarily to the advantage they offer in learning and their effectiveness in performance. "A crime scene technology program can only be successful if it provides students with extensive practical experience" [4] (p. 120). Police departments have been utilizing mock activities in the form of scenario-based training programs to build upon the skills of their officers.…”