LIsa Black
Cape Coral, FL
Female, 49
I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.
I see that on TV all the time but I have a hard time believing it. But I don't know personally. Sorry!
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I'm a civilian employee, not a sworn officer, so no.
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I'm sorry, I was sure I answered this long ago! Collecting buccal swabs is very easy--they come in a kit with everything necessary plus instructions for rubbing the swabs on the inside of the mouth and then packaging. Anyone could do it. I've never heard of a case where it was considered contaminated.
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Wow, that's an extremely broad question. I don't know if the rates of crimes solved have been increased greatly--perhaps in some crimes like rape or murder but perhaps not in other crimes like burglary and theft. But certainly the biggest advances in forensics have been DNA and the connectedness of fingerprint databases. Less specific but perfectly valid analyses like pollen, soil, and other trace evidence examination have gone by the wayside. And digital analyses such as the downloading of cell phones and personal computers are helping solve crimes more and more, but then people didn't have cell phones or personal computers 40 years ago so I'm not sure that counts!
I hope that helps!
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Sommelier
What's your favorite bottle of wine for under $20?
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Do you occasionally get a little turned off by wine snobbery?
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Why don't more dry cleaners stay open late?
I'm sorry, but I have no idea. I don't work in digital forensics.
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That would depend entirely on what the mess up was and what it affected, and whether it was an honest mistake or the result of negligence or bias. For a serious mistake, yes, I'd probably be fired.
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Yes.
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