Crime Scene Investigation 3 & 4
Pathway: Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security Pathway
Grade: 12
Credit: 2
- 1 Forensic Science 2
- 1 Practical Arts/Elective
Instructor: Heather Hatfield-Schlenker
In this class, students will be provided hands-on experience in what real Crime Scene Investigators do at crime scenes. This course will not only cover what a Crime Scene Investigator does when they are out in the field working various crime scenes, but it will also cover laboratory processing with chemical enhancements and alternate light sources. Students will further their knowledge of the investigative team and their roles/responsibilities. Students will increase their hands-on knowledge of the digital SLR cameras, learn new techniques, including aerial photography, and improve on techniques that they learned in Crime Scene Investigation 1 & 2. Students will be able to have a more in-depth experience of accident photography and investigation. Each student will have the opportunity to process items for the development of latent prints using new processing techniques from Crime Scene Investigation 1 & 2. Students will continue to use presumptive tests for various items, including new presumptive techniques, learn how to sketch crime scenes using both hands-on techniques, as well as use the Faro 3D Scanner.
Not only will students make, recognize, and analyze different bloodstain patterns, but they will also be able to determine the area of convergence and origin and perform more detailed shooting trajectory reconstruction and crime scene reconstruction. Students will also have the opportunity to use the UV/IR Forensic camera bundle to photograph evidence, along with the RUVIS, which is a Reflective Ultraviolet Imaging System. Along with this class having a very hands-on, learn-by-doing process, we have also collaborated with various law enforcement agencies and coroner offices throughout the Denver Metro area. This will allow the students to network with other professionals in this field and obtain various perspectives on a variety of case studies and personal experiences from forensic & law enforcement professionals. Through this program, students will have the potential to obtain volunteer and shadowing opportunities through local agencies and obtain knowledge, skills, and abilities that they can use moving forward in their career pathways.
Program will work in partnership with Thornton and Westminster PD
Counseling Notes:
- Prerequisite: Successful completion of CSI 1 & 2
- Course fee: $40.00
- We want every student to be prepared for success! If your family needs support obtaining any of the required supplies, financial assistance is available. Please reach out to your Washington Square counselor. We are here to help.
Possible Career Opportunities for Students in the Crime Scene Investigation Pathway:
- Crime Scene Investigator
- Forensic Science Technician
- Forensic ID Technician
- Criminalist Latent Print Examiner
- Forensic Autopsy Technician
- Crime Laboratory Analyst
- Crime Scene Reconstructionist
- Evidence Technician
- DNA Analyst
- Firearms Examiner
- Forensic Entomologist
- Forensic Pathologist
- Bloodstain Pattern Analyst
- Forensic Toxicologist
- Coroner
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation- Forensic Investigator
- FBI- Evidence Response Team
Required Supplies for Crime Scene Investigation:
Required supplies - student-provided
- Uniform Pants: Black BDU pants. (Can be purchased at Galls Uniform Store, 5.11, Amazon, or Army Surplus).
- Uniform Shirt: Minimum of (1) short-sleeve assigned shirt. (Mandatory to purchase directly at Washington Square).
- Footwear: Black boots (steel-toed boots are not required).
Required supplies - school-provided
- (None listed)
Optional supplies - student-provided
- (None listed)
Academic & study supplies - student-provided
- Device: Fully charged laptop (required to be brought to class on a daily basis).
- Paper: Notebook or some sort of paper for note-taking, plus graph paper.
- Writing Tools: Highlighters and colored pencils.