Course Outline
Required Modules
- Introduction to Forensics
- History
- Crime scene preservation; steps an investigator should follow
- The evidence
- Physical evidence
- Trace evidence
- Matching the evidence
- Fingerprints
- Blood
- DNA
- Firearms
- Branches of forensic science
- Causes of death
- Inside the courtroom
- Innocent but proven guilty
- Principles and Approaches to Criminal Investigation: Core 1
- Nature of Investigations
- Elements of the Crime
- Investigative Plan
- Selling the Case to You Agency and the Prosecutor
- Sources of Information
- Criminal Intelligence
- Introduction to Physical Evidence
- Crime Scene Processing
- Preserving the Crime Scene
- Searching the Crime Scene
- Processing and Collecting Evidence
- Preserving the Evidence
- Principles and Approaches to Criminal Investigation: Core 2
- Interviews
- Interrogations
- Polygraph Examinations
- Notes
- Photographs
- Sketches
- Observations and Descriptions
- Principles and Approaches to Criminal Investigation: Core 3
- Crimes Against Persons
- Domestic Violence Against Women
- Domestic Violence Against Men
- Mass Murders, Spree Murders, and Serial Murders
- Property Crimes
- Larceny
- Burglary, Housebreaking, and Unlawful Entry
- Arson
- Principles and Approaches to Criminal Investigation: Core 4
- Special/Traditional Investigations
- Trial
- Testimony
- Differences in Perspective
- Managing Investigations
- An introductory module
- Define medical and investigative terms
- List scientific and slang names of abused drugs
- Describe the different injuries one may encounter in a death investigation
- Explain the varying mechanism of death
- Use proper investigation terminology
Elective Modules
- Crime Scene Investigation: A Reference for Law Enforcement Training
- Checklist for processing various items of a crime scene.
- Digital Forensics: An Introduction
- Define computer forensics.
- Describe how to prepare for computer investigations and explain the difference between law enforcement agency and corporate investigations.
- Explain the importance of maintaining professional conduct.
- Criminal Investigation Assessment
- Identify death investigation terminology
- Explain the differences between a method of operation and signatures
- List questions to ask in a personality assessment
- Define the different homicide classifications
- Use notebooks, sketches and photographs properly
- Postmortem Examinations
- Define medical and investigative terms
- List scientific and slang names of abused drugs
- Describe the different injuries one may encounter in a death investigation
- Explain the varying mechanism of death
- Use proper investigation terminology
- Injuries
- Describe the differences between certain wounds
- Identify how a wound was created
- List the different weapons used to inflict wounds
- Explain blunt force injuries in relevance to specific organs
- Define the different automotive impacts
- Homicide
- Identify the number of blows or shots taken at a crime scene
- Utilize a SINE function table for blood spatter analysis
- Define the area of origin for a bloodstain
- List types of poison
- Explain the symptoms of different poisons
- Accidental Deaths
- List the different forms of asphyxia
- Explain the autopsy of a gunshot
- Describe the classification of burns
- Identify the different types of narcotics
- Define autoerotic practices
- Atypical Homicide
- List the professions that are considered “high risk” for suicide
- Identify the common myths related to suicide
- Describe an equivocal death
- Explain why elder women are at risk for sex-related homicides
- Define the difference between a salt water and fresh water drowning
- Child Abuse
- Identify the warning signs of child abuse
- Explain the morphology of child abuse
- List the signs of neglect
- Describe what SIDS is and what SIDS is not
- Utilize the best course of action for the victim’s safety