Forensic Science is a huge factor in catching criminals and its importance today, cannot be overemphasized. The growing use of DNA analysis has meant that unsolved cases from many years ago are being solved and convictions being attained. There are many aspects to forensics and the crime scene investigator must have knowledge of them all and know which specialists to call in. He or she must be keenly observant and take into consideration all potential evidence, such as fingerprints, prints from footwear, tire tracks, ballistics and bloodstain pattern analysis. It's just about impossible for someone to leave no trace at all at the scene.
The history of forensics goes back further than one might suppose. There are examples of a crime scene investigator at work in 13th century China and in 16th century Europe. A French army surgeon studied the effects on internal organs from violent assault and Italian and German experts also contributed to the field. From the 1770s, it became possible to detect arsenic in the body. As time went on, the methods became formalized into a science.
The subject of forensics is common in movies and TV shows today but the first popular fictional character to perform as a crime scene investigator was Sherlock Holmes. The brilliant English Victorian detective was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and he based the character on a real person. This was Joseph Bell, a surgeon who had taught Conan Doyle at medical school in the University of Edinburgh. The stories inspired a great interest amongst the public, into forensic science.
Hit TV shows, such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS and Bones continue this fascination. CSI also has two spin off series with CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. All these shows present the crime scene investigator as a heroic figure who gets the bad guy and saves the day. There is even a phrase that has been coined to describe the effect that all these shows are having, called the 'CSI Effect'. The public always expects forensic science to be at the forefront of any trial and critics claim that the shows make the work of a crime scene investigator look easy. Such is the publicity surrounding forensics; both American and British universities can't offer enough places to study the subject, to keep pace with demand. The subject has also been popularized as a result of countless documentaries, featuring true life murders and their forensic investigation.
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