Forensic Science

Forensic science can be described as the application of science to any area of the law. It includes many disciplines and can be used in various cases in the court of law. It involves the collection, preservations and forensic analysis of crime scene evidence.

In the beginning, forensic specialists taught themselves. No universities or courses existed for the training of forensic scientists. The first curriculum was established in 1902 and universities began offering courses and degrees in criminology and police science in the 1930s. During the last 10 years, the science of forensics has become an important part of law enforcement and the solution of crimes.

There are many different aspects of forensic science:

Firearms and tool mark identification involves identifying characteristics between firearms and the bullets of projectiles and the target. Bullets are matched to the gun that fired them through a comparison of the characteristics between the bullet and gun. A tool that was used to pry open a door could be identified by the marks left on the door frame.

Document examination can be used to find forgery, counterfeiting or identification through handwriting analysis.

DNA fingerprinting can be used to exclude possible suspects and fingerprinting can give positive identification of suspects.

Forensic profiling involves coming up with a personality profile of a criminal based on a crime scene and evidence in order to aid in finding the culprit. This can also be used to narrow down a list of suspects.

All of these divisions can be used together in crime scene analysis. Evidence at the crime scene is found, collected, preserved and analyzed in order to provide court testimonies.

The crime scene is the place where the act or offense took place. The crime scene can be anything including a room, a house, a phone booth or a large field. It isn’t only the actual location of the crime; it can also be the planning area or the path between various crime scenes.

Fingerprint Basics
Types of Fingerprints
Fingerprint Patterns
Ridge Characteristics
Developing Powders
Developing Reagents
Developing Reagent Details
Lifting Techniques
Fingerprint Identification
Unusual Fingerprints
History of Fingerprinting
Body Prints
Animal Fingerprints
DNA Fingerprinting
Trace Evidence
Jobs Involving Fingerprinting