Excreted and secreted bodily fluids are examined through the investigations by forensic serology specialists. The working conditions are somehow special. Usually, the program is a standardized 40 hours per week    set schedule for a law enforcement agency either private or public institution. However, when there is a high case load it will be necessary to work extra hours in orer to perform the investigative pattern on time. Most of the process takes place in the lab, but there are occasional visits to the crime scenes whenever the evidence is not conclusive, self-explanatory or needs further investigation on the field.

Among the responsibilities of a forensic specialist in serology the most important are testing samples brought by crime scene investigators in the labs and examining evidence in order to find viable bodily fluids. After identifying evidence, before examining it in order to sustain the investigation, the viability of the evidence has to be determined. There are some certain situations in which the amount of fluid is not enough for the testing to be conducted or the material is contamined and the results would not be reliable. In this case, the samples have to be analyzed under a microscope and use alternative equipment to make the drug testing and establish if the bodily fluids are relevant for the ongoing investigation. Another highly important responsibility of the forensic serologist consists in writing the final report in which the investigation and its conclusions are being summarized as well as, whenever it is necessary, testifying in court as expert witness case in which the relevance of the evidence has to be explained in such way to be both scientifically accurate and understandable for those who lack specific knowledge in the field.

Strictly linked with the responsibilities of the job are the skills that are truly important in accomplishing the job tasks among which strong people skills and communication skills. Because the investigation itself is not very relevant unless it is proven so, one of the most critical skill is being able to explain the progress provided by the results of the investigation for the ongoing process. Collaborating with other specialists in solving tasks requires the capacity to understand the perspective of the investigation as a whole, goal for which it is crucial to communicate in order to evolve. Organizational skills are also crucial, given the high number of tasks in a short period of time and the fact that sometimes working under pressure cannot be avoided and has to be coped with effectively. Working on several samples at a time is very inconvenient and not everybody can manage situations like these, especially since deadlines are highly important in the job and the decision of a criminal investigation can hang on each of its parts.

The employers who most likely need a forensic serology specialist include law enforcement institutions, private crime labs and the military service. The junior position in the field is working in forensic serology as a technician and requires exclusively lab work – analyzing and identifying relevant evidence for a case from the clues that have been found at crime scene. With experience, not only the salary (from $37, 000 to approximately $60,000 a year) but the spectrum of activities. A senior employer coordinator of the serology activity for an institution has access at the crime scene and communication / lobbying responsibilities concerning the results of the investigation and their importance in the case / for the company or institution.

Once a student has the necessary experience to be hired as a forensic serology technician, after working in the field a transfer to specialize in DNA forensics is also possible. Since the differences are not fundamentally different, a re-qualification is possible and a lack of jobs on the market force can always be followed by a change of direction.

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The good news is that changing careers from Forensic Serology to Forensic DNA Specialist doesn’t require too much extra qualification and, depending on what the Bachelor’s Degree specializes the future employer in, other extra studies might not even be necessary. Of course, another highly important factor in changing careers from serology to DNA is taking into consideration the size of the entity that is going to hire you, as local institutions for instance can have the same person work for both specializations. Educationally speaking there are some Master Degrees programs that are meant to specialize the future expert in both DNA and Serology in order to increase the chances of labor market absorption.  Taking into consideration the cases in which the hiring institution or company is important enough to conduct various investigations at a time requiring the works of both DNA and serology specialists in forensic activity, changing careers can require performing a somewhat different kind of job – the evidence that is being analyzed from a job to another can differ enough so that if the major of the employer isn’t in anatomy of biochemistry the chances of needing extra qualification besides the practical skills required in the job description are higher. However, there have been many cases of such changes and especially if the formal educational background fits to the requirements of both job descriptions, no extra qualification is needed before making this change in position.

Forensic accounting is one of the most important yet often overlooked branches of crime investigation – the pen is more powerful than the sword, right? The science of forensic accounting covers many financial areas and its goal is to provide an exhaustive analysis used in court, no matter what the financial fraud may be.

Forensic accountants are often referred to as forensic auditors or investigative auditors because the main task is often to conduct an audit – an official examination and verification of accounts and records. Investigative accounting is rather associated with the process of examination of criminal nature, while a typical day in the field involves, for instance, an employee theft, security fraud, kickbacks, insurance fraud and it proceeds with crime investigations.

The forensic accountant has to provide litigation support – litigation support is the accounting assistance providing process in processes involving existing or pending litigation. Primarily it concerns the quantification of economic damages, and the typical case of litigation support supposes a calculation of an economic loss caused by a breach of contract.

What a forensic accountant does

The job of a forensic accountant includes analyzing, interpreting, summarizing and presenting reports of complex financial issues in order to be analyzed by the court, following both the criteria of being understandable and properly supported by the norms in the field. The employer can either be an institution or an company (most often banks, insurance companies or government agencies), and the accountant is often asked to testify in court.

The responsibilities in the field are most often related to the investigative process and analysis of the financial evidence in the case in discussion, the development of digital application to assist in both the analysis and  the presentation of the evidence in court, the communication process of the findings in reports, exhibits and documents related to the case, as well as the assistance of legal proceedings, testifying in court as expert witness and providing visual support for the trial evidence that is to be presented. You don’t see forensic accountants take the spotlight, but you’d be surprised to see just how important they are in many investigations (even non-strictly financial) – they don’t say “follow the money” for nothing.

Educational requirements

The educational process of becoming a forensic accountant includes some specific degrees to be obtained by the candidate, including a certified financial forensic degree (the most important qualification for the job) that has to be given by an accredited institution in the state where the candidate wishes to practice this job. For instance, in the United States of America, The is the specialized authority to guarantee the proper theoretical knowledge of the applicant. Another institution that is authorized to give accreditation is the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, combining accounting knowledge and investigative skills.

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Aside from this, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in forensic accounting, accounting, finance or another related field of study is required for any candidate who wishes to become a forensic accountant. Not only the institutions, but the companies as well tend to also require a Certified Fraud Examiner Certificate (CFE), a Certified Public Accountant Certificate (CPA) or a Chartered Accountant Certificate (CA).

There are, of course some required skills and intellectual capacities along with specific knowledge in the field that have to be accomplished in order for the candidate to be eligible for such a position. Knowledge-wise, the most relevant domains in which the student has to have solid information include white-collar crimes, money laundering, insurance claims, contract and procurement fraud, asset misappropriation, financial statement fraud, financial data analysis, computer application design, locating hidden assets, due diligence reviews, evidence integrity analysis, forensic intelligence gathering, accounting specific procedures, regression analysis, computer applications related to the field of study etc.

The required skills in the field include proficient communication (both verbal and written) skills used in writing reports and testifying in court, as well as abilities such as attention to detail, analytic thinking, objectivity in thinking, credibility in appearance etc.

Any practitioner that wishes to be on assistance can apply on jobs in on either investigative accounting (often related to reviewing the factual situation, protecting and recovering assets, coordinating other experts) or litigation support (most often associated with assisting during the documentation time, reviewing the documentation found relevant, assisting with Examination with Discovery, reviewing the opposite expert’s damages report, assisting with relevant discussions on the matter as well as attending in trial).

The most commonly encountered cases for which a forensic accountant expert is eligible include criminal investigations, shareholders’ and partnership disputes, personal injury claims (and motor vehicle accidents), business interruption, business fraud, matrimonial disputes, business economic losses, professional negligence etc.

The salary for a CFE forensic accountant in the United States of America varies from $83,000 a year for an entry position to approximately $150,000 a year for a senior job, while a non-CPE forensic accountant is paid with $60,000 a year on an entry-level position and over $127,000 a year on a senior one.

A forensic crime scene unit is composed of crime scene investigators (CSI) specially trained to document an accident or crime scene in order to identify, collect and classify evidence to be further analyzed in the labs. Working under pressure is highly important and qualified as being one of the key competences for anyone who wishes to work in this field.

Although the job description for a CSI varies on the level of education, the specificity of the employer and the state in which the job is being offered, the generic overview of the job position is being responsible for the thorough documentation of the crime scene along with the identification and processing of physical evidence. As it is crucial that the proof stay safe, it is also highly important for the attendant to have expertise in other complementary fields of study, such as photography, sketching, processing for latent and patent evidence (among the most popular types are the fingerprints, footwear impressions, tracing, hair and fibers, biological fluids etc.).

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Before getting to the actual knowledge that is necessary in order to occupy a job in the field of CSI, there are some crucial qualities that have to be fulfilled. One of the first is having the composure to perform scientific work on a satisfactory level when the crime scene looks horrific, meaning a very strong capability of internalizing a scientific perspective on the matter. Scrupulously following the procedures can only be accomplished by passionate employees and attention to detail is one of the most significant characteristics making the distinction between a good CSI and a proficient one. Under no circumstance can an investigator miss clue evidence and solving problems in an efficient manner, under stress and against time is very often encountered during investigations of all kind.

The educational qualifying an investigator for the job requires a bachelor’s degree in a natural science (be it biology, chemistry or even forensic science, the latter covering a larger spectrum of domains among which biology, chemistry, anthropology, geology, soil science, textiles, psychology, statistics or criminology are the most important to be mentioned).

In order to become a CSI it is not necessary for the candidate to be a police officer, since civilians can follow the training if they are proven to satisfy the formally accredited necessary theoretical knowledge in one of the above mentioned fields. Educationally speaking, there are special programs to cover the BS or MS, such as Forensic Degrees or Criminal Justice degrees. The training that the applicant has to follow is separate from the educational forms of accreditation the subject will find in universities and colleges and the agent holding the training is almost always the employing law enforcement agency.

However, regardless of the educational background a period of on-the-job training before taking cases in coordination is compulsory, especially in private agencies. Depending on the type of job that the apprentice is going to perform on the crime scene, the period of training can vary from six months (at most a year) for a DNA forensic investigator to almost three years in the case of firearms investigators.

Although for a long period of time having been a police officer was considered to be an advantage for the applicant in CSI, the status quo tends to be counter-intuitive on this matter. Not every police agency needs a full time CSI to solve the cases and the ones able to hire one are going to opt for the best educated candidate and train him the practical skills during the on-the-job period of accommodation. This way, the crime scene investigator is going  to have both theoretical expertise and practical skills to proficiently perform the job on field. Therefore, the best solution is preparing to fulfill the academic criteria in order to be eligible for the job.

In order to better understand whether or not CSI is a suitable job, the applicant has to look over the job description and analyze the kind of activities he will be performing in the field, where such an investigation specialist spends most of the time. Among the first job responsibilities and activities the ones worth mentioning are securing the crime scene, taking detailed measurements, sketching and diagramming the scene, taking photographs (that have to be scientifically accurate and ready to be used in court, if the situation asks for it), documenting the evidence found at the crime scene (on indicators such as nature or location), packaging and labeling the evidence to be transferred in the lab, attending and photographing autopsies. Another important quality of the CSI is not only being good at the practical work, but having excellent both oral and written communication skills, useful in testifying in court or writing reports detailing evidence collection procedures and the conclusions of investigations. Since attention to detail was one of the first things to be accomplished, maintaining equipment and restocking portable evidence collection kits is also part of the job description and requires delicacy in using it.

Although the job is highly stressful and requires a competitive employee, the advantages of rewarding payment stand. Some of the recently opened job positions in the United States of America have an encouraging scale of payment. A Crime Scene Investigator gets to be payed $46,164 to $56,523 per year, which is very motivating for anyone who wishes to make a career.

Two of the most important bibles of the field that have to be read by any student who wants to become a trainee in a Crime Scene Investigation team are Crime Scene & Evidence Photographer’s Guide by Steven Staggs, written in 2005 and Introduction to Fingerprint Comparisonby Gary W. Jones, written in 2000.

There are more job positions for which a future CSI can apply and the most significant ones (also internationally accredited as full time jobs with education, monetary gratification and practical skills) are Crime Scene Investigator, Crime Scene Photographer, Forensic Technician, Latent Evidence Technician, Ballistics Expert.

DNA analysis plays a key role in any investigation of violent crimes. Collecting, testing and analyzing blood samples is what helps provide critical evidence in court about the manner in which the crime happened along with important proof of the agent who has commited it. What used to be called forensic serology has now become forensic DNA analysis, since the first term became outdated. The reasons behind this difference of taxonomy lay in the main object of study and on its characteristic of consisting in blood exclusively.

Within the history of criminology, not only the term but the object of the investigation is relatively recent and includes lab work, biological material examination,working with law enforcement entities, collaboration with other forensic specialists, using lab and computer equipment that is utterly fragile.

In case of a crime, the DNA specialist is brought at the crime scene in order to identify blood samples, before the place is being disturbed in order for the team to find further evidence. The blood stain patterns and their disposition have a crucial role in understanding whether or not there has been a struggle or not or how many parts were involved in the conflict, for instance. After having collected the blood samples, the laboratory analysis is going to determine if the blood belongs to the victim or to a possible suspect. The second alternative indicates who else was at the crime scene. The most important type of DNA is not the blood actually, but the fingerprints left behind in the blood.

If DNA is portrayed as a complicated strand of code, the specialist analyzing the case is the one to have access to the coding process and its results. Matching DNA from the crime scene with the one of a suspect represents an impregnable proof in solving crimes, procedure that also makes most of the subjects to confess in order to avoid tougher punishment.

The DNA analysis team includes more specialists, at least one one for each step of the investigation. Detectives and other forensic personel can also be very useful during the case analysis. The specialists’ presence in court rooms is highly important because of their expertise in the field and the relevance of their confessions. Another fact to be known for anyone who wishes to become a forensic DNA specialist is being capable of owrking under stress and in unfriendly conditions, especially when highly important cases occur. Otherwise, the work program is made of standard workdays, except for when they are required to go at a crime scene.

The job represents a highly specialized spectrum and job includes activities such as analyzing and preparing the tissue samples along with interpreting the results whose purpose is to determine if the blood is related to criminal evidence. A highly strict protocol has to be followed during the analysis, as well as when handling and storing blood samples. As above mentioned, it is sometimes necessary for the forensic DNA investigator to testify as expert witness on his findings.

The typical educational requirements for anyone who wishes to become a DNA specialist in investigations is a bachelor’s degree in biology, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, forensic sciences or biochemistry. These educational programs are the only ones assuring the employer that the new candidate has the necessary specific knowledge necessary on the field, as well as it works as a guarantee for proficiency in working with the evidence in terms of procedures, techniques, applications, terms or scientific principles of DNA analysis. Extra qualifications in immunology, infectious diseases or genes development is extremely helpful for the candidates. As most of the universities require mandatory presence in laboratory work, most of the students are going to be familiarized with lab processes, equipment and procedures.

The job requirements of the Federal Bureau of Investigation include Bachelor’s degree in biological science, at least 6 months of forensic DNA experience, excellent written and oral communication skills and the experience with ABI 377, 3100, 310 genetic sequences is described as desirable for any applicant.

Along with the educational degree that has to be satisfactory in terms of knowledge and practical skills, the field also requires attention to detail, ability to solve problems, analytical thinking as much as good speaking and writing skills (the latter are usually useful in court or in the written reports of the researches).

Some of the potential employers of forensic DNA investigators include healthcare facilities (such as hospitals), crime labs of different sizes (provincial, national, international), private research labs, biotechnology companies as well as universities and colleges for the research work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States of America,  the report of 2010 specifies that during the future 10 years since the moment of the research the forensic science has the possibility to grow with approximately 19%. Currently there are over 13,000 jobs in the field only in the United States, and are believed to increase with 2,400 jobs during this decade.

The salary of a forensic DNA investigator vary on the level of experience, the nature of the employing organization, the level of education and training etc. The median salary in the United States of America is about $51,570 per year, while in Canada it is about $40,543 per year. The lowest 10% of the forensic science technicians in the United States of America earned approximately $32,300, while the highest 10% were payed with $85,210 a year.

The main tasks the forensic toxicologist has to perform are identifying, characterizing and putting in context any types of drugs or chemicals found in a human body (or at a crime scene) during an investigation, based on scientific tests of bodily fluids and tissue samples.

Forensic Toxicology – What it Does

The forensic toxicologist will firstly (but not exclusively) look for prescription or illegal drugs, alcohol, poisons, metals, gases such as carbon monoxide – as these are the substances most often associated with cases. However, not paying attention to the slightest particularities that ensure from the tests may lead to and inefficient and inaccurate investigation result. You have to increase your odds of getting good results fast so naturally you search for the common substances – but not looking for anything else is a potentially vital mistake.

The jobs involve a lot of chemistry, but also require solid knowledge in distribution rates, absorption rates and other specifications of toxic substances interacting with the human body. The chemistry techniques combine with the pharmacology knowledge in analyzing the types and contributions of substances that have been ingested by the subject of the investigation, as well as the relationship between them, since two separate substances may be harmless while in combination they can even cause death in some cases, doses etc.

The equipment in the laboratories is most often highly developed, the usage of instruments require precise methodologies and following some patterns while working with chemical reagents, not excluding any possible option at the same time. It’s often a tedious, but highly necessary job.

The custody for physical evidence is another thing yet to be taken into consideration whenever performing such a forensic investigation, reason for which the technicalities that have to be followed and respected may even get to seem overwhelming for a beginner in the field.

The responsibilities of a forensic toxicologist

Responsibility depends on the toxicologist’s level of involvement in the lab. The typical classification of the lab workers vary from assistant, supervisor, analyst to director/manager, while another specific domain is research (development scientists are given very few cases to solve and are usually only taking responsibility for the private companies’ research results rather for the investigations per se, since they are not properly working in the field, but for it).

Under this general classification, there are some types of obligations the employee binds himself to respect and accomplish, as it follows:

• taking care of the evidence received in the laboratory, on the purpose of detecting all the possible chemicals or controlled substances in the body, as well as poisons and prescribed drugs in different quantities. The legal chain of custody for the evidence he is responsible for has to be maintained, as well as reported to the superiors whenever it is necessary, according to the particular policies of the departments, companies or institutions in charge with the case solving.
• evaluating the evidence given to be analyzed accordingly, starting with the determination of a perfect dosage for scientific examination, in order for the analysis to be highly representative for the entire tissue or organism. Some of the steps include performing analysis on distinct specimens from blood, to urine, liver and other specimen patterns. Part of the analytic procedures here include Gas Chromatology (GC), Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Liquid Cromatography – Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) or High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). All these have to be performed according to the standardized forensic toxicology procedures, forensic chemistry and pharmacology procedures.

• recording the data and interpreting the findings is also very important and part of the job. For most of the jobs, the preparation of the legal reports presenting the results of the analysis performed is an attribution of the forensic toxicologist as well. The scientific records of the analysis performed have to remain in the archive of the institution the forensic specialist works for. Depending on the policy of the lab, sometimes one of the tasks may include supervising the proper usage and functioning of the lab equipment.
• other specific attributions can include testifying in court (which, at its turn, includes explaining the scientific conclusions of the reports in a common way so that it can be understood and taken into consideration as valid, instead of being accused of specific knowledge), assisting medical examiners in some of the examinations as well as explaining the procedures to the new trainees.

How to become a forensic toxicologist

The qualifications needed to become a forensic toxicologist include  a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, pharmacology or biology (other specializations may be accepted as qualified in some states according to the national specific laws and conditions, but they’re not recommended). Some of the positions require a master or even a PhD in forensic toxicology, while any of these specializations has to be accredited by the only institution in the United States of America qualified to certify the diplomas, .

Another very important qualification besides the theoretical background obtained during the years of study is practice. In order to be hired as an assistant in a forensic toxicology laboratory performing such investigations a minimum of three years of experience in the field is required. At its turn, this working period has to be accredited by the Forensic Toxicologist Certification Board. The three main branches that a young assistant can specialize in are Certified Forensic Alcohol Toxicologist, Certified Forensic Toxicologist and Certified Forensic Drug Toxicologist.

Forensic toxicologist salary

Concerning the salaries in the field, the starting payment rate for an assistant will rarely be over $60, 000 in the United States of America, while a more experienced forensic toxicologist can easily get to be paid over $100, 000 a year. The work is mostly sedentary, since the forensic toxicologists rarely get to visit the crime scene and more often get to work only from the laboratory with the samples provided by the other departments. The job can also prove to be highly stressful, especially during multiple investigations happening concomitant.

Modern forensic science methods used today make it easier for law officials to solve an assortment of crimes such as theft, assault and murder. False accusations and unsolved crimes were quite common before scientists discovered how to test blood, hair or fingerprints left at the scene of criminal activity. There were no police officers in many geographic regions who understood how to collect evidence properly to determine who committed a crime. Individuals witnessing a crime or finding a murder victim might tamper with objects preventing law officials from making an accurate arrest. In addition, communication between different cities and towns was difficult leading to not understanding the various ways to look for evidence.

Specialty Forensic Areas

Forensic science is also useful for other research such as biology, anthropology and archeology. Students can study forensic science at a university to work in a variety of career fields. In addition to learning basic forensic knowledge, a student can specialize in areas such as botany, art or psychiatry. The specialty areas of forensic studies are steadily increasing as scientists find more ways to investigate evidence. More individuals are also interested in learning forensic science due to the popularity of television programs that depict crime solving detectives gathering and studying evidence. While fictional story lines on television programs make it seem easy to solve crimes, .

History of Forensics

Fictional books written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle depicting Sherlock Holmes beginning in the late 1800s helped to spread the knowledge of forensic science to other locations. The character Sherlock Holmes would often analyze tiny fragments of items such as paper or cigar ashes found at crime scenes. As crime became more common in larger cities, police departments began to use better methods to solve crimes. The Jack the Ripper murders that occurred in London in 1888 frightened the public leading to the local police force learning new ways to search for evidence including hiring sketch artists and photographers to document the victims’ wounds.

Using Fingerprinting Evidence

In the early 1820s, researchers began to consider how fingerprints could assist in capturing criminals. For many years, archeologists found fingerprint impressions on ancient artifacts such as tiles, bricks and pottery made by handcrafting processes. Several cultures used fingerprint signatures to sign contracts on clay tablets before people knew how to write. Eventually, scientists learned that each individual has unique fingerprints that are useful for identification and solving crimes. Today, there are databases of thousands of fingerprints that law officials can access quickly with computer programming.

New DNA Techniques

Crime scenes typically will have an assortment of evidence left behind by criminals such as drops of blood, strands of hair or torn fingernails. At the same time, the criminal often carries away unique evidence from the crime scene that proves guilt in the courtroom. When physicians learned how to type blood for transfusions, this was also a useful forensic science discovery. A whole niche of industries cater to the safe keeping of important biological evidence, and play an important role in this process. To solve crimes, forensic experts often collect blood from spatters on clothing and hard surfaces after criminals attack victims. Overtime, scientists learned that DNA located in saliva and blood of criminals offered more opportunities to identify criminals quickly and accurately. Forensic scientists are now able to solve crimes that occurred long ago by analyzing evidence with new DNA techniques.

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