Crime Scene Evidence Technician

Course Goal: 

This two-week, 80-hour, in-depth Crime Scene Evidence Technician Course will provide the officer with practical, field-proven methods and procedures to be used at any crime scene to collect as much evidence as possible in as functional and pristine of a condition as possible for the purpose of defining more effectively what did or did not occur in the crime being investigated. The course is intended to give the attending officer the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes to properly assess, observe, document, search, collect, and analyze evidence found at a crime scene, potential crime scene, or any other scene where an investigatory process is occurring and will later support further investigation or prosecutorial processes. 

This course also trains law enforcement officers in the proper chain of custody of existing physical and digitally created evidence collected to efficiently support investigatory and prosecutorial processes according to case law and judicial rules of evidence.  

The Crime Scene Technician Course is based upon the tasks and competencies required by the International Association for Identification’s (IAI) Certified Crime Scene Investigator Certification. 

Course Objective: 

This two-week (10 Day), 80-hour course is designed to provide the officer with practical, field-proven methods and procedures to be used at any crime scene to collect as much evidence as possible in as functional and pristine a condition as possible for the purpose of defining more effectively what did or did not happen in the crime being investigated. 

At the completion of the course, officers should possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes to be able to properly assess, observe, document, search, collect, and analyze evidence found at a crime scene or potential crime scene. 

Course Topics Include: 

• Crime Scene Perimeter Methodology 

• Importance of Observation and Assessment in Crime Scene Processing 

• Employment of Crime Scene Methodology 

• Employment of Searching Techniques & Location of Evidence 

• Location, Preservation, Documentation, and Recovery of: 

• Impression Evidence 

• Trace Evidence 

• Transfer Evidence 

• Tool-Mark Evidence 

• Bloodstain Pattern Evidence 

• Serological & Biological Evidence 

• Firearm & Ballistic Evidence 

• Transient Evidence 

• Perishable Evidence 

• Crime Scene Documentation Methods, Including: 

• Photography 

• Videography 

• Note-Taking 

• Crime Scene Sketching, Measurements, Diagrams, and Mapping 

• Report Writing 

• Understanding Ethical Decision-Making 

• Rules of Evidence in Courtroom Proceedings 

• Documentation, Enhancement, and Preservation Techniques for Latent Physical Evidence & Other Impression Evidence 

• Photographic Techniques & Basic Operation of Cameras 

• Methods Used for Determining & Documenting Signs of Arson 

• Internal, External & Terminal Ballistics 

• Class, Individual Characteristics & Nature of Physical Evidence 

• Preservation & Documentation of Bloodstain Patterns 

• Bullet Trajectories & Defects 

• History of Crime Scene Processing & Criminalistics 

• Significance of the Role of DNA Related to Crime Scene Processing 

• Presumptive Testing Methods 

• Issues Related to Scene & Evidence Contamination 

• Scene & Evidence Contamination Mitigation 

• Medicolegal Death Investigation 

• Wound Dynamics 

• Use of Light Techniques for Scene & Evidence Purposes 

• Methodology of Processing Buried Body & Surface Skeleton Scenes 

• Complementary Forensic Sciences Assisting in Determining Event Timelines, Such as Forensic Entomology, Botany & Anthropology 
  
  

Who Should Attend: 

• APOSTC-Certified Law Enforcement Officers (Requirement) 

• POST-Certified Law Enforcement Officers from Other States (Requirement) 
  
  

APOSTC Continuing Education Credit: 

• This Training Provides Eighty (80) Hours of APOSTC CEU Credits 

• This Training Provides Eighty (80) Hours of POST CEU Credits for Outside States (If Approved By Your State) 
  
  

Special Required Equipment & Attendance Notes: 

• Attending Officers MUST BRING an SLR Digital Camera with Digital Storage Capability for the Crime Scene Photography Portion of the Class 

• Attending Officers MUST ATTEND All Ten Days to Receive Full CEU Credit and Attain Successful Course Graduation 

• Attending Officers ARE REQUIRED To Bring Their Own Materials for the Evidence Collection & Latent Print Development Portion of the Course (See Link Below for Required Materials)