LIsa Black
Cape Coral, FL
Female, 49
I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.
Wow, that's an extremely broad question. I don't know if the rates of crimes solved have been increased greatly--perhaps in some crimes like rape or murder but perhaps not in other crimes like burglary and theft. But certainly the biggest advances in forensics have been DNA and the connectedness of fingerprint databases. Less specific but perfectly valid analyses like pollen, soil, and other trace evidence examination have gone by the wayside. And digital analyses such as the downloading of cell phones and personal computers are helping solve crimes more and more, but then people didn't have cell phones or personal computers 40 years ago so I'm not sure that counts!
I hope that helps!
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I am an expert in some areas of forensic science. I am not an expert in law, public safety policy or our political system.
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That’s an excellent question that I”m sorry I can’t answer. You will need to ask a pathologist. Sorry I couldn’t be more help!
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Sure! Email me at Lisa-black@live.com.
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That would depend entirely on what the mess up was and what it affected, and whether it was an honest mistake or the result of negligence or bias. For a serious mistake, yes, I'd probably be fired.
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If it were allowed to dry and kept dry, then it's possible, though the odds would be incredibly slim since the decomposition fluids from the body would most like overwhelm it. It's worth a try.
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Yes and no. Labs and units have expanded a lot in the past 10-20 years especially due to federal grants, but they're not as big as you see on TV. A small police department may do only fingerprints and send everything else to the state lab. A big city facility might take up an entire block or two and do everything from drug testing to paint and glass. As for skills, take as much science classes as you can and try to find programs with hands-on field work. Best of luck!
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