Forensic scientist and CSI?

Question

What does a real forensic investigator think of watching shows like CSI? Is the show more glamorous? How about the science...do you ALWAYS agree with methods and conclusions? Hmm...I wonder...?

Answer 1

The show is much more glamorous than real life. Forensic scientists, for the most part, do not carry guns. They do not get the expensive widgets and work in labs that are more like moodily-lit business offices. More importantly, the conclusions are rarely as clean-cut as they are made out to be; more frequently, good data are missing or can be interpreted in more than one way- regardless of the skill of the individual interpreting the results. Backlogs are a lot larger than depicted in the show, particularly with DNA evidence. Asking a technician to "squeeze in" another sample is taken very lightly on the show.

More importantly, investigators in the real world are rarely presented with toxicology samples within minutes or hours, as depicted in the show. Perhaps most amusing of all is how the gas chromatograph with a mass spec detector is treated as the "do it all" machine, which can apparently analyze everything from bricks to blood, even in the hands of someone who doesn't touch it more than once a month.

It's a show designed to entertain, rather than educate- which is a good thing, given the way the material is presented.

Answer 2

I recently addressed this question, (particularly the science aspect) on my forensic psychology website, the following answer is based on that entry.

Programs such as Forensic files, Law and Order, CSI, CSI Miami etc may be hugely popular and thoroughly entertaining but they have created what is know in academic and professional circles as the 'CSI effect'

According to Max Houck, director of the Forensic Science Initiative, a program that develops research and professional training for forensic scientists, "The CSI effect is basically the perception of the near-infallibility of forensic science in response to the TV show,"

As a couple of the other answers have pointed out, the main distortion between fictional portrayals and the application of forensic science in the real world is 'time frame'. It can take several weeks, sometimes months to get results back from the lab, however, in the fictional world of forensic science and crime scene investigation, results invaribaly come back straight away.

It would seem that the CSI effect is most visible in the court room, particularly among jurors. Prosecutors fear the CSI effect among juries because they may question why everything isn't subject to forensic analysis, when in fact not everything has to be. Equally, Defence attorneys are concerned about the CSI effect because jurors may perceive the science of forensics as completely objective and totally accurate, thus ignoring the possibility of human or technical error.

Writing for USA today Richard Willing outlined a number of examples that highlighted the CSI effect in action. These included:

A murder trial where jurors alerted the judge that a bloody coat introduced as evidence had not been tested for DNA. In fact, the tests were not needed because the defendant acknowledged being at the murder scene. The judge stated that TV had taught jurors about DNA tests, but not enough about when to use them.

A murder trial where jurors asked the judge if a cigarette butt found during the crime scene investigation could be tested to see if it could be linked to the defendant. The defence team had ordered the tests but hadn't introduced them into evidence. Upon doing so, the tests exonerated the defendant, and he was acquitted.

The fact that prosecutors are now being allowed to question potential jurors about their TV-watching habits.

Concerned by the potential negative consequences of the CSI effect, the National Forensic academy in conjunction with best selling crime writer Patricia Cornwell have produced a free interactive package that allows you to appreciate and understand the way it really happens in crime scene investigation.

http://www.all-about-forensic-psychology.com/crime-scene-investigation.html

Answer 3

There are several things that are unrealistic about these shows:

1) The analysts do not make arrests.

2) The same analyst will not do all different kinds of tests as well as field work. Different people will work in different areas.

3) Forensic labs do not have all the fancy equipment and beaultiful facilities shown on TV (especially CSI: Miami).

4) Results usually take much longer to get than they do on TV, especially DNA analysis. (Recenly a murder case was solved in my city through fiber analysis. It took six months.)

Answer 4

These are not the first shows of this type it started with Quincy ME. Yes it is over rated on the shows. Great thing television. They are able to find out a lot. The investigations are all done by detectives. You wont find an ME asking her father or his father and playing a role game to solve the crime. It is intresting. Ask your local coroners office if you need more help.

Answer 5

Even though some episodes show real stories there are some of them which use extreme fiction to solve the cases...and most of these cases are too complex that they use these fictions to match the conclusions...

it cannot be denied that scientific evidence research can be wrong... probability is another thing that should be take in to consideration...however sometimes this factor is neglected to favor the closure of the case...

Answer 6

in lots of cases the forensic scientist works in a laboratory the place they analyze the products from the crime scene. The crime scene investigator is the guy who collects the products / data from the crime scene.

Answer 7

i can usually think of oyher possible scenarios