What is Criminalistics? What is The Point of Studying it?

In the United States, the criminal justice system is the overarching structure through which crimes and those who commit them are identified, convicted, and punished. All government institutions intended at maintaining social order, discouraging and mitigating crime, and penalizing those who break the law, such as law enforcement and the court and jail systems, are included in this category.

The criminal justice system has two subsets: criminology and criminalistics. Criminology is concerned with the study and prevention of crime, and is usually associated with behavioral sciences such as sociology, psychology, and anthropology. Criminalistics is a branch of forensic science that deals with the examination of physical evidence recovered from a crime scene.

Criminalistics takes impact only after a crime has been committed, whereas criminology incorporates preventative components. A criminalist uses scientific methods to identify, document, preserve, and analyze physical evidence collected at a crime scene. Crime scene investigations are also part of criminalistics. Criminalists are classified as forensic science technicians by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Most practitioners consider criminalistics to be a subfield of forensic science.

What do criminals do?

Criminalists evaluate and analyze every piece of evidence recovered from a crime scene using their understanding of physical and natural science. They document their findings in written reports and may be required to submit their findings in court. A criminalist is not engaged in determining an accused person's guilt or innocence. Rather, it is their responsibility to give an objective examination of the data.

Criminalists require a number of important talents in order to be effective in their profession. First and foremost, they must be meticulous and possess superior written and vocal communication abilities. Second, they should have good problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities, as well as a strong foundation in science, statistics, physics, arithmetic, and ethics. Finally, criminalists should feel at ease giving testimony in court. Unless a criminalist specializes in crime scene investigation, the majority of a criminalist's work is done in a laboratory. Recognizing what information is significant, gathering and evaluating evidence without polluting it, and arranging all information and evidence logically are all part of their job description. Criminalistics encompasses a wide range of specializations. Among the specialties include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol and drugs
Arson
Blood and tissue spatter
Computer forensics
DNA
Explosions
Serology (examining and analyzing body fluids)
Toxicology
Firearms and tool marks
Trace evidence
Wildlife (analyzing evidence against poachers)

Criminals will always have job as long as crimes continue to be committed. According to forensic scientist and "Father of Criminalistics" Paul L. Kirk, a criminal will always leave evidence, no matter how minor:

“Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as silent evidence against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibers from his clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or semen that he deposits or collects – all these and more bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong; it cannot perjure itself; it cannot be wholly absent. Only its interpretation can err. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.”

Who Employs Criminalists?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, forensic technician job vacancies will rise by 14% in the decade leading up to 2029, which is more than thrice the national average for all occupations (4 percent). Criminalists with a master's degree are projected to have the best possibilities since technological improvements have made forensic information increasingly important in the courts. Government entities, such as those listed below, are the largest employers of criminals.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Medical Examiners/Coroners
Military
Police departments
U.S. Customs

Private firms, educational institutions, and crime labs are among the other employment. Criminalists must pass drug testing and background checks for the majority of posts. Despite the fact that criminalists are not required to be licensed, the majority of them prefer to get qualifications and certificates from a variety of professional organizations.

Most preferred Universities for Criminalistics

Bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, forensics, or another natural or physical science are required for most entry-level criminalist employment, while certain roles need a master's degree. Continuing education is required due to technological and methodological advancements. When selecting a school, it is critical to ensure that the institution is accredited. It's also important to know whose agency certified it. Accreditation is a procedure in which a third-party organization assesses the quality of a school's curriculum and teachers.

While criminalistics does not have a specific accrediting agency, the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) —the most prominent accreditation entity in this field—does certify forensic science programs. Furthermore, several recognized, regional accreditation entities evaluate universities as a whole and have received approval from the U.S. Department of Education’s Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Below are a few schools that offer accredited criminalistics programs.