Crime Scene Investigator Network Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2008

Welcome to the September 2008 Crime Scene Investigator Network Newsletter

New CSI and Forensic Job Announcements

Forensic Analyst   |  Eugene, Oregon, Police Department
Final Filing Date: October 10, 2008
$25.41-$32.40 per hour
Performs a variety of complex and specialized technical tasks collecting, preserving, and identifying criminal evidence at the crime scene and/or analyzing evidence in the laboratory; analyzes evidence in conjunction with investigation activities and provides expert testimony in court on methods and results of analysis. <View complete job listing>

Fingerprint Manager   |  Palm Beach County, Florida Sheriff's Office
Final Filing Date: October 31, 2008
Salary: $3859--$4215 per month
Supervises and participates in the fingerprinting of individuals for law enforcement, governmental, private business and other purposes. Fulfills administrative reporting functions associated with fingerprinting. Supervises and participates in classifying and searching of fingerprints in master files and computer database; makes positive identifications of prints; compares prints to determine whether fingerprint cards match prints on file; verifies each match; identifies name and histo! ry associated with fingerprints; testifies in court as needed. Performs all related duties as assigned.
<View complete job listing>

Firearms Examiner   |  City of Los Angeles, California
Final Filing Date: Open until sufficient applications are received
Salary: $$77,402 to $96,152 per year
A Firearms Examiner is a civilian employee of the Police Department who examines and identifies firearms, weapons, cartridges, bullets, and similar evidence in criminal investigations; collects physical evidence at crime scenes; analyzes and reconstructs the events occurring at crime scenes; conducts complete scientific tests of firearms evidence using labora! tory equipment; prepares documentation and reports on the results of the collection and analysis of evidence; testifies in court concerning the results of examinations; provides expert testimony on general firearms capability and examination methodology; and does related work.
<View complete job listing>

DNA Technical Leader  |  Broward County, Florida Sheriff’s Office
Final Filing Date: Not stated
Salary: The salary is negotiable and based on experience and qualifications
The successful candidate will be required to perform the duties of a DNA Technical Leader, established by the FBI “Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories”, effective July 1, 2009.
<View complete job listing>

Forensic Scientist I – Latent Prints   |  Johnson County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office
Final Filing Date: Open until filled
Salary: $51,251.20 to $66,851.20 per year
The major duties of the position include applying the appropriate processing techniques on evidence submissions, analysis of latent print evidence; comparison and evaluation of latent finger, palm, and foot prints for identification; and entering latent prints into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
<View complete job listing>

Search for more job listings in Crime Scene Investigations and Forensics
<Crime Scene Investigator Network Employment Listings>

Featured Forensic Program

CSI In The News

<DNA Technology Moves Forward>
When the Maryland State Police lab told her that the evidence didn't contain enough bodily fluid for a complete DNA profile, Shelly Progovitz was crushed. A man who had brutally raped a 12-year-old girl behind a middle school in Waldorf in 1996 and then tied her hands and feet and forced a sock into her mouth would never be convicted for what he had done. But Progovitz, a crime scene technician, did not let her disappointment keep her on the sidelines long. That night, she went home and searched on Google for something she had read about in scientific journals but had never used: "touch DNA."
Washington Post, by Matt Zapotosky – September 22, 2008

<CSI Winona: Evidence collection in city not as glamorous as TV, but still compelling>
They are not nearly as glamorous, exciting or flashy as the ones on television show, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and its spin-offs, but the Winona crime lab and evidence rooms offer their own quirks and crime-solving drama.Winona Police Investigator Angie Evans speaks to classes on a regular basis and finds that about 90 percent of people have seen the show, most of whom by now have preconceived notions about collecting evidence. She prefaces every presentation with a warning that she’s never watched a minute of it and won’t. It’s just not accurate, she says.
Winona Daily News – Winona, MN, by Kevin Behr – September 21, 2008

<Long Island gets federal grant to fund DNA labs>
Suspects on Long Island could be matched to crimes soo! ner - or be exonerated quicker - with more than $500,000 in federal gr ant money that will help fund police DNA laboratories, officials announced yesterday. The funding - $245,794 for Nassau and $280,905 for Suffolk - must be used to lessen turnaround times to analyze DNA samples and reduce backlogs, according to the federal Department of Justice. In Nassau, the money will help purchase a host of state-of-the-art equipment, including a machine to make a minuscule DNA sample - such as blood, semen and saliva - easier to analyze. It will also fund upgrades to a computerized, paperless case-record system that went online this summer, said Pasquale Buffolino, the director of the county's Department of Forensic Genetics. The number of cases Buffolino's lab handles has risen steadily. In 2005, for example, the lab accepted 415 cases. Last year, the lab accepted 654.
Newsday – Long Island, NY, by Matthew Chayes – September 17, 2008

<Building better crime labs: Improvements to facilities allow cities to meet demand for forensic analysis>
Valley crime labs are growing to keep pace with the ever-increasing demand for forensic evidence.Mesa opens a state-of-the art lab next month, Chandler is planning a new one, Phoenix opened a new lab in June 2007, and Scottsdale plans to open a new lab next September. "Success breeds more work," said Todd Griffith, scientific-analysis superintendent for the state Department of Public Safety. "There's more we can do with the evidence." He said 11 new technicians recently finished training at the DPS lab and the additional personnel would help cut into a backlog of DNA cases. Steve Garrett, Scottsdale's forensic-services division manager, said detectives used to be more selective by requesting analysis for only major violent crimes such as homicides and sexual assaults. But now forensic work is performed on more routine crimes that affect more people,! such as burglaries and auto thefts.
The Arizona Republic – Pho enix, AZ, by Jim Walsh – September 15, 2008

<Flames ruin clues with a chilling efficiency>
Whoever shot to death three women and a girl in an Irvington house last week finished the crime with a devastating coda: torching the place. Fire is one of the worst things that can happen to a murder scene, investigators say. The heat, which can climb well above 1,000 degrees, can incinerate fingerprints, hair, blood and any biological evidence that could yield a DNA profile of the killer. Bullets and shell casings can warp, making it hard to trace a gun. Firefighters, trying to put out the blaze, douse the scene with water and chemicals, wrecking things further. "It makes your job a lot harder when you get that kind of damage," said Detective Sgt. First Class Howard Ryan, a veteran State Police crime scene investigator. "I'm not saying you can't find things,! but it makes it a lot more difficult."
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com – Newark, NJ, by Jonathan Schuppe – September 14, 2008

Other Resources on the Crime Scene Investigator Network Website

<How to Become a Crime Scene Investigator>
<Crime Scene Response>
<Evidence Collection>
<Crime Scene and Evidence Photography>
<Crime Scene Investigation Articles>
<Training and Colleges>
<Employment>
<Resources and Links>
<Bookstore>

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