Forensic Science Technicians
Tasks
Core Tasks Include:
- Testify in court about investigative or analytical methods or findings.
- Operate and maintain laboratory equipment and apparatus.
- Prepare solutions, reagents, or sample formulations needed for laboratory work.
- Collect evidence from crime scenes, storing it in conditions that preserve its integrity.
- Collect impressions of dust from surfaces to obtain and identify fingerprints.
- Analyze gunshot residue and bullet paths to determine how shootings occurred.
- Visit morgues, examine scenes of crimes, or contact other sources to obtain evidence or information to be used in investigations.
- Confer with ballistics, fingerprinting, handwriting, documents, electronics, medical, chemical, or metallurgical experts concerning evidence and its interpretation.
- Keep records and prepare reports detailing findings, investigative methods, and laboratory techniques.
- Use chemicals or other substances to examine latent fingerprint evidence and compare developed prints to those of known persons in databases.
- Train new technicians or other personnel on forensic science techniques.
- Examine and analyze blood stain patterns at crime scenes.
- Use photographic or video equipment to document evidence or crime scenes.
- Measure and sketch crime scenes to document evidence.
- Examine footwear, tire tracks, or other types of impressions.
Supplemental Tasks Include:
- Interpret laboratory findings or test results to identify and classify substances, materials, or other evidence collected at crime scenes.
- Identify and quantify drugs or poisons found in biological fluids or tissues, in foods, or at crime scenes.
- Reconstruct crime scenes to determine relationships among pieces of evidence.
- Examine firearms to determine mechanical condition and legal status, performing restoration work on damaged firearms to obtain information, such as serial numbers.
- Compare objects, such as tools, with impression marks to determine whether a specific object is responsible for a specific mark.
- Review forensic analysts' reports for technical merit.
- Determine types of bullets and specific weapons used in shootings.
- Examine physical evidence, such as hair, biological fluids, fiber, wood, or soil residues to obtain information about its source and composition.
- Analyze DNA data to identify DNA donor profiles.
- Analyze data from computers or other digital media sources for evidence related to criminal activity.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
