Crime Scene Investigator

By: Samantha Buttigieg

Education And Training Requirements

• High School Diploma

• College Diploma or University Degree

• Need to be a police officer for 3-5 years before you can apply to be a Crime scene investigator (CSI)

• Programs that are important to have are:

Police Studies, Crime Justice, Sociology, Criminology, and Law

Skills Needed To Do The Job

• Patience

• Need to be very observant

• Careful and detail oriented

• Problem solving skills

• Communication skills

Responsibilities At Work

• Package physical evidence from scenes

• Collect various fingerprints, footprints, tire tracks, tool marks, fibers, blood, paint chips

• Write evidence reports, package, label, and document evidence

Work Hours

• Work around 40 hours a week

• Must be on call 24/7

• Work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays

Work Independently or As a Team

• Work as a team on bigger cases such as homicides

• Sometimes independently when the cases is smaller such as small robberies

Compensation

• During 1 year probationary period salaries range from $35,000 to $55,000 a year

• Salaries rise after probationary period ends - they can make more than $80,000 a year

• Crime scene investigator receive benefits such as:

dental coverage, paid vacation, sick days

and pension plans

Courses To Take In High School

• Math

• Biology

• Chemistry

• Physics

• Law

• English

• Computers