Beyond Technical Training to Professionalism in Crime Scene Examination: Enhancing Cognitive, Leadership, and Social Abilities in Career Development Programs

ABSTRACT

Developing advanced cognitive and leadership abilities in crime scene examiners, and field forensic practitioners, regardless of rank/level is advantageous. Processing crime scenes, analyzing traces in mobile labs, or using forensic intelligence to map serial incidents are crucial aspects of police investigations and crime prevention. Research shows that inadequately managed scenes, narrow and siloed-thinking and poor analytical practices lead to poor science being relied on by police and lawyers. If collecting and analyzing accurate forensic information is vital, what are the non-technical attributes that CSEs need? This is the fourth paper in a series on professionalism in crime scene examiners (CSEs). The first article identified the seven key attributes that set top performing CSEs apart from their lesser performing peers. The second article presented an overview of a recruitment strategy for selecting applicants with the potential to become top performing CSEs. The third article provided forensic managers with a valid psychometric profile of top-performing CSEs along with guidelines for how to use this profile correctly within a targeted and focused five stage recruitment process. The aim of this fourth article is to present structured guidelines for how justice and forensic agencies can develop early- and mid-career leadership and professional programs to enhance the cognitive, leadership and social skills of entry level and mid-career CSEs and other field forensic personnel.

KEYWORDS:

• Career development programs forensic personnel
• forensic management
• crime scene examiners
• leadership
• training programs

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Mr. Rob Hayes for his comments and insights on earlier drafts of this paper.

Funding

The author would like to acknowledge two funding sources that supported this research. First, the Australian Research Council (LP0882797) and industry linkage partners, Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police Forensic Centre, and the National Institute of Forensic Science for funding the collaborative research project “The Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System”. Second, the Australian Federal Police Forensic Centre for supporting the psychometric testing of the top field forensic scientists and an early career development project for Australian forensic scientists.