Comments on: CSI: Alaska – Not so much http://www.csifanatic.com/2007/07/28/csi-alaska-not-so-much/ CSI news, views and gossip Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:37:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: James C. http://www.csifanatic.com/2007/07/28/csi-alaska-not-so-much/comment-page-1/#comment-3407 James C. Sat, 10 May 2008 04:32:40 +0000 http://www.csifanatic.com/2007/07/28/csi-alaska-not-so-much/#comment-3407 Having lived up here for many years, and observing police in action, I hate to say that it would be very frightening to our justice system if crime were investigated 'CSI style.' Sure, we're not as backwards as some think we are, as we do have the access to the necessary equipment and computer databases as any criminal investigation unit has anywhere else in the country... our problems up here lie in both the personel and the judicial system that would put suspects through trial. No matter where you are, those tools are completely ineffective in the hands of untrained individuals, and there are few law enforcement agencies that have the time or the resources to properly train their people to run a crime lab... and the judges... most Alaskans would say 'Don't even GO There!' Sure, the colleges do have Criminology courses up here (and very good ones at that) but their graduates go to the lower 48 to put their skills to work in higher paying jurisdictions. As a result, most of the intense criminal science work gets sent to labs in Chicago and Seattle. Forensics can be a tricky science up here due to a number of environmental factors. Long, frigid winters can preserve bodies so determination of time of death can be challenging. Animals scatter the remains. Dense woods and swampy terrain can conceal evidence. A general feeling of mistrust of authority makes testimony of potential witnesses quite unreliable. When all is said and done, crime gets solved mostly by old fashioned 'Sherlock Holmes' style detective work. Trials can be rather tricky, so most convictions are done by confessions and plea bargains. Those suspects who do go to trial often appeal, and the ultimate outcome and sentence becomes confusing, drawn out and unpredictable. Having lived up here for many years, and observing police in action, I hate to say that it would be very frightening to our justice system if crime were investigated ‘CSI style.’ Sure, we’re not as backwards as some think we are, as we do have the access to the necessary equipment and computer databases as any criminal investigation unit has anywhere else in the country… our problems up here lie in both the personel and the judicial system that would put suspects through trial. No matter where you are, those tools are completely ineffective in the hands of untrained individuals, and there are few law enforcement agencies that have the time or the resources to properly train their people to run a crime lab… and the judges… most Alaskans would say ‘Don’t even GO There!’ Sure, the colleges do have Criminology courses up here (and very good ones at that) but their graduates go to the lower 48 to put their skills to work in higher paying jurisdictions. As a result, most of the intense criminal science work gets sent to labs in Chicago and Seattle.

Forensics can be a tricky science up here due to a number of environmental factors. Long, frigid winters can preserve bodies so determination of time of death can be challenging. Animals scatter the remains. Dense woods and swampy terrain can conceal evidence. A general feeling of mistrust of authority makes testimony of potential witnesses quite unreliable. When all is said and done, crime gets solved mostly by old fashioned ‘Sherlock Holmes’ style detective work. Trials can be rather tricky, so most convictions are done by confessions and plea bargains. Those suspects who do go to trial often appeal, and the ultimate outcome and sentence becomes confusing, drawn out and unpredictable.

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