Advice on college?

[Findarto]

Okay, I know this site probably isn't for this, but it looks like an information well and I couldn't find any other forum close to it (Maybe my Google skills need work?)...

I'm starting college in May, majoring in CST because I want to be a crime scene technician (I'm not sure if I want to take it all the way to Criminalist or Investigator). Besides what the program directors and such tell me, what advice can anyone here give me? I'm entering college two years early, so do you think any classes will have things required to do that I will not be able to being under 18?

What electives would you advise? I'm thinking that besides the usual ones, I would take more natural science classes incase I do decide to get my BA after this in the same field. What kind of requirements besides a degree do your offices usually look for in this field?

What is the difference between just being a CST and being a sworn officer and then being a CST or CSI?

Anything else you can give tips on? I live in the Tampa Bay Area (Florida).
And will me being multiracial and multilingual have any advantage or disadvantage in getting hired?
Thanks!

[Citicop]

If you intend to do any work in the field actually collecting evidence, you will in all likelihood need to be a sworn officer. Our crime lab has civilians working in the lab itself doing analysis, but all the police stuff is done by cops.

Also, don't expect crime scene work to be like what CSI depicts. Crime Scene Techs in real life show up, collect evidence, transport it to the lab (where in all likelihood, one of the aforementioned civilians does the analysis) and that's it. CSI's do NOT interview witnesses, make arrests, and investigate cases. They are support personnel for the detectives who do the investigating.

Also, what school are you going to? I've never heard of an accredited school with a "major" in CST.

Citicop.

[Findarto]

Thanks for replying, Citicop!

I hate that show, CSI, my parents love it... Go figure, right?!:eek:
Oh, I know what they really do. I've talked to many of them, and even had lecturers (not that that matters)..

Information:

College: hxxp://xxx.spcollege.edu
Crime Scene Technologies Major information: hxxp://xxx.spcollege.edu/ac/crsc/

Thanks!


P.S: I hope using xxx doesn't violate the "No linking to URLs unless you have fifteen posts rule"
X= T and W

[Citicop]

Findarto-

No, the way you put the link in is fine.

I just checked their website, and my suspicion was confirmed. Crime Scene Technology is a "certificate" and not a major. So if you take that program, you won't have a "degree" (either associate's or bachelor's) in Crime Scene Technology, just a certificate in addition to whatever your actual degree is in. So, you will need to pick something else to major in; if CSI is what you really want to do, I would recommend Chemistry or Biology. You will need at least a bachelor's and maybe some graduate work to really get into the field, I would guess.

Good Luck-

Citicop.

[Findarto]

Then... I'm confused, what is this?
(Gotten to by clicking on the "Associate Degree" link) hxxp://xxx.spcollege.edu/webcentral/acad/crimeas.htm
And gotten on the main CST page I linked in the other post.

From previous page
St. Petersburg College is one of the first colleges in the United States offering a 2-year associates in science degree and 1-year certificate program in Crime Scene Technology (CST). The Crime Scene Technology program is an extensive learning process containing effective time established investigative techniques combined with present day technology. The students of this program will learn competencies in the areas of locating, preserving, developing, collecting, analyzing, and presenting physical evidence.

Associate in Science in Crime Scene Technology prepares students for employment in the field of criminalistics with a specialty in Crime Scene Technology. The student can serve as, but is not limited to, a Crime Scene Technician, Crime Scene Photographer, Fingerprint Classification Specialist, Crime Lab Assistant, Investigator/Consultant, Juvenile Assessment Worker, Latent Print Examiner/Trainee, Fire Inspector/Investigator, Forensic Science Specialist and Property and Evidence Personnel. Crime Scene Technologists can be employed by local state and federal law enforcement agencies, state attorney offices, public defender offices, medical examiner offices, law firms and private industry.

The content includes but is not limited to, a working knowledge of all basic tenets in crime scene technology encompassed in the phases of crime scene search, recording, evidence gathering, packaging of evidence and courtroom testimony. The goal is the proper collection of crime scene evidence according to all legal dictates for presentation in court. Laboratory and field experiences are an integral part of this program. Students will participate in mock crime scene exercises, moot court hearings and various lab experiences that involve the processing of evidence.

Reinforcement of basic skills in English, mathematics, and science appropriate for the job preparatory program is provided through vocational classroom instruction and applied laboratory procedures and practice.

?

[Citicop]

My mistake then. They ALSO offer a "certificate" in the same thing, and that's what I found.

I maintain that if you want to obtain a position and advance in that career, you will need to go on and get a Bachelor's Degree in one of the previously mentioned sciences. An Associate's wouldn't cut it, at least not here.

Citicop.

[Kimble]

I maintain that if you want to obtain a position and advance in that career, you will need to go on and get a Bachelor's Degree in one of the previously mentioned sciences. An Associate's wouldn't cut it, at least not here.

Same here. Take what you want from the quote above, but keep in mind that you have a LEO who works with these evidence technicians, rather than a marketing ploy from a college looking to increase its admissions numbers.

[Findarto]

IYO, do you think it would be better to major in Chemistry and take the required classes they offer for the CST major as electives? Or would it be a waste of money?

Thanks!

[Kimble]

IYO, do you think it would be better to major in Chemistry and take the required classes they offer for the CST major as electives? Or would it be a waste of money?

Thanks!

The situation is more complex than you seem to understand. I'll spell it out for you to hopefully help clarify:

1. Most departments that I've seen that have Crime Scene Technicians/Evidence Technicians have them as sworn personnel. As such, you have to start out as a patrol officer (or the equivalent) before getting on with the crime scene unit. There are some exceptions, such as the FBI's Evidence Response Unit, but these are mainly the exception from what I've seen.

2. Many departments want applicants who have a college degree, and most couldn't care less what your major is. Whether it's chemistry, crime scene tech, criminal justice, or basket weaving, most just want to have you check a box that says you have an education.

3. Departments will put their crime scene people through the appropriate training needed, so in affect, your diploma or associate's degree in said field may be a waste of money. Less so with an associate's degree, since it is a 2-year college degree (so you check the same box as others with associate's degrees), but still, you'll have to go through whatever training they see fit. Your major won't waive you from this training, nor will it waive you from starting out in patrol.

[carterfsmith]

You are getting some excellent advise from ROS and Citicop, but I noticed something I think you need to consider, perhaps only so you won't regret overlooking it in the future.

But first, I've gotta suggest you ask yourself why you are interested in CST. It appears very limiting from my perspective, and I suspect your abilities might be challenged in a more advanced position, while still filling the same need for you (an obsessively inquisitive individual, I suspect), and society (where people who fill roles below their abilities abound).

Here's my thoughts:

I'm entering college two years early, so do you think any classes will have things required to do that I will not be able to being under 18?

***
Anything else you can give tips on? I live in the Tampa Bay Area (Florida).
***
And will me being multiracial and multilingual have any advantage or disadvantage in getting hired?

You have three, possibly four or five (depending on how you treat them) major advantages working in your favor.

I suspect, since you are entering college early, that you have figured out your personal learning formula. I would think that you have also located the buttons that need to be pushed to ensure self-motivation. This is advantage #1, as most people go decades (if not lifetimes) without even knowing that these formulas and buttons exist.

Your situation, as described, puts you in the 16-17 year old range. That means there are 4-5 years before you will be able to hire on for the majority of positions you would qualify for. Advantage #2 is that you don't have to scurry to find a paying job (assuming you have living arrangements) and career right away, and that you probably couldn't find a position once you completed the program anyway.

You reside in an area that has a fairly high, and growing, cost of living, and a variety of people experiencing this growth together. Tampa/St. Pete is not just a big city, it's a big city in a state that has many benefits, but also many challenges. If you can find a way to learn from the issues the state is experiencing, you'll have a strong foundation on which to build. That's #3 if you are so inclined.

Numbers 4 and 5 are pretty clear. Yes, multiracial and multilingual candidates have an edge over the rest for hiring in many cases. You'll find, though, that there are plenty of non-multi people who will despise you for that edge. Refer back to number 3 for suggestions.

So here are my concerns. Why focus on something you can accomplish in two years and still not be old enough to do? And, why focus on something that may neither continuously challenge you nor require the combined effort of all your advantages and some extraordinary effort on your part?

Aristotle said "Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation." You have time to look for that intersection -- have you taken any of the assorted strengths tests to see what vocations best fit with your God-given abilities?

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. -- Seneca

[1depd]

I'm lazy so and didn't read what the other guys said. Pinellas SO does not have sworn CSTs. A very good friend of mine started the CST degree at SPC, but moved from the evidence room to the road prior to finishing it. He was a bit scatter brained and during the semester break took the two week comparative compliance police academy at SPC. From what he said, the education was required to get the CST job. The techs did make a bit more than the sworn deputies, but that was before the deputies received a large pay raise, so I don't know if that still holds true. If your interested in advancing I would suggest a natural science for your major in the four year degree. The state has a crime scene lab in Tampa for the more advanced things, so you are in a good location. Get your feet wet doing the local stuff then try to move over to the state. Both have state retirement, so you won't lose any time.

As far as being multilingual, the Tampa Bay area has a large population of people who don't speak English. Although you will not be going to crime scenes by yourself, your ability to speak a different language will be useful. You will be able to speak directly with the victims of crimes you are collecting evidence for and explain what you are doing, without tying up a multilingual Deputy or officer.

Word of advice: When the instructor tells you to wear "clean" pants, go buy a new pair and wear them. It'll save you some embarrassment, especially with alternate light sources.