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Online Program

Adventures Online: An Introduction to Crime Scene Investigation

Program No. 24847RJ
Ever wonder how accurate crime scene investigations are in your favorite police procedurals? Get your questions answered in this four-day introduction to crime scene investigation.
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Science & TechnologyOnline Multi-Day
Length
4 days
Rating (5)
Starts at
399

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4 days
1
Orientation, Fact vs. Fiction, Crime Scene Documentation
From the comfort of your own home.
2
Evidence Collection, DNA
From the comfort of your own home.
3
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Firearms Evidence
From the comfort of your own home.
4
Forensic Entomology, Footwear & Tire Track Evidence
From the comfort of your own home.
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At a Glance

Ever wonder how accurate crime scene investigations are in your favorite televised police procedurals? Get your questions answered in this four-day introduction to crime scene investigation (CSI) with author and forensic photography expert Steven Staggs. Learn how to tell fact from fiction, how CSI teams collect evidence and how what’s left behind — insects, tire tracks, firearms evidence and DNA — inform and further the investigation. Q&A sessions and discussions with course experts and fellow Road Scholars will ensure that the next time your favorite detective show broadcasts, you’ll be on the case.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Learn about what really happens in crime scene investigation from experts in the field.
  • Explore the proper methods of evidence collection and storage.
  • Discover how DNA is collected from a crime scene and analyzed.

General Notes

You’ll enjoy 2-3 hours of daily instruction, discussion and/or field trips, which includes sufficient breaks throughout the program. This online program is through Zoom, an easy-to-use web video service that includes closed captioning. All you need is an Internet connection and your computer. We’ll provide a how-to guide to make sure you’ll have a hassle-free experience. This session is offered live only and will not be available on demand. Please review the daily itinerary for start and end times to ensure you won’t miss a minute of this live experience. All times are listed in the EASTERN time zone. If you live in a different time zone, please adjust your schedule accordingly.
Featured Expert
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Steve Staggs
For more than 25 years, Captain (ret.) Steve Staggs of the UC Riverside Police Department has been a crime scene investigation and forensic photography instructor, training more than 5,000 technicians for sheriff’s departments, district attorney’s offices and federal agencies. He has testified in court concerning crime scene and autopsy photography and handled high-profile investigations including a serial homicide case. Steve is the author of the “Crime Scene and Evidence Photographer’s Guide.”

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Steve Staggs
Steve Staggs View biography
For more than 25 years, Captain (ret.) Steve Staggs of the UC Riverside Police Department has been a crime scene investigation and forensic photography instructor, training more than 5,000 technicians for sheriff’s departments, district attorney’s offices and federal agencies. He has testified in court concerning crime scene and autopsy photography and handled high-profile investigations including a serial homicide case. Steve is the author of the “Crime Scene and Evidence Photographer’s Guide.”
Profile Image of Laurel Howat
Laurel Howat View biography
Laurel Howat holds a B.A. in French, an M.A. in humanities, and a certificate in crime scene investigation. She resides in Long Beach, California with her husband Jim. Laurel previously worked for Air France, the Getty Museum, and LAC/USC Medical Center. Laurel began as a Road Scholar instructor in 2000 and became a group leader the following year. She enjoys reading, movies, hiking, backpacking, country music, and opera, serving on the boards of the Opera League of Los Angeles and Long Beach Opera.
Profile Image of Randolph Beasley
Randolph B. Beasley View biography
Randolph Beasley enjoyed a 30-year career with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Crime Lab. As a forensic/crime scene specialist, he processed hundreds of homicide scenes. His expertise includes crime scene reconstruction and bloodstain pattern analysis. Randolph has taught various CSI related courses and workshops for the California Department of Justice, California Association of Criminalists, and other law enforcement agencies. As founder and owner of Seekfirst Forensic Consulting, Randolph now provides consulting services and expert witness testimony for both the prosecution and defense.
Profile Image of David Faulkner
David Faulkner View biography
David Faulker is a forensic entomologist — an expert who uses knowledge of insect behavior to provide insight into violent crimes — and research associate at the San Diego Natural History Museum. David has lectured on various entomological topics throughout the United States and internationally. He runs workshops on forensic entomology collection techniques for homicide investigators with the California Department of Justice and various other law enforcement agencies.
Profile Image of Theron Vines III
Theron L. Vines III View biography
Theron Vines III is the president and founder of Pure Gold Forensics, which he started when he saw the legal community in dire need of efficient forensic DNA services. He possesses a B.S. in biology with a minor in chemistry, as well as his master's in forensic science with a specialization in criminalistics. Pure Gold Forensics services the law enforcement community as well as the criminal defense community. Theron Vines is routinely called to testify as an expert witness in criminal court cases.
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Activity Note
Today’s session will start at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time and end at 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
12:00 Noon: Orientation and Introduction (20 minutes). 12:20 p.m.: Lecture – CSI Fact vs. Fiction (60 minutes). Can we trust television to learn what really happens in crime scene investigations? 1:20 p.m.: Q&A (10 minutes). 1:30 p.m.: Break (10 minutes). 1:40 p.m.: Lecture – Crime Scene Documentation (65 minutes). Documentation is one of the two most critical tasks in crime scene investigation. We’ll learn how crime scenes are documented with notes, photographs, and diagrams. 2:45 p.m.: Q&A (10 minutes). 2:55 p.m.: Wrap-up (5 minutes).
Activity Note
Today’s session will start at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time and end at 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
12:00 Noon: Day Review (5 minutes). The Group Leader will start each day with an overview of the classes ahead. 12:05 p.m.: Lecture – Evidence Collection (75 minutes). Proper collection of evidence is the other critical task in crime scene investigation. We will learn how evidence is located and recovered; this includes fingerprints, blood stains, and small items. 1:20 p.m.: Q&A (10 minutes). 1:30 p.m.: Break (10 minutes). 1:40 p.m.: Lecture – DNA (65 minutes). What is DNA? How is the DNA collected from scenes and evidence analyzed? 2:45 p.m.: Q&A (10 minutes). 2:55 p.m.: Wrap-up (5 minutes).
Activity Note
Today’s session will start at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time and end at 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
12:00 Noon: Day Review (5 minutes). 12:05 p.m.: Lecture – Blood Stain Pattern Analysis (75 minutes). Bloodstain patterns at a violent crime scene can help provide the “best explanation” of what occurred, where it occurred, and the sequence of events. In this lesson, we will learn the basics of “bloodstain pattern analysis.” It is usually not what you see on TV. . 1:20 p.m.: Q&A (10 minutes). 1:30 p.m.: Break (10 minutes). 1:40 p.m.: Lecture – Firearms Evidence (65 minutes). We will learn how the CSI handles firearms evidence and how the analysis of trajectories can help determine what really happened during a crime. 2:45 p.m.: Q&A (10 minutes). 2:55 p.m.: Wrap-up (5 minutes).
Activity Note
Today’s session will start at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time and end at 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
12:00 Noon: Day Review (5 minutes). 12:05 p.m.: Lecture – Forensic Entomology (75 minutes). We’ll explore how investigators deal with the presence or absence of insects at a crime scene and what it means. 1:20 p.m.: Q&A (10 minutes). 1:30 p.m.: Break (10 minutes). 1:40 p.m.: Lecture – Footwear and Tire Track Evidence (65 minutes). We will learn how some of the most overlooked physical evidence can be located, documented, collected, and analyzed to further the investigation. 2:45 p.m.: Q&A (10 minutes). 2:55 p.m.: Wrap-up (5 minutes). This concludes our program.





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