Duties of a Scenes of Crime Officer in UK
‘CSI’ or ‘Crime Scene Investigation’ is a popular term among the young and the old as it is the theme for some of the most popular television dramas in the United States and in many parts of the world. High-tech equipment and the amazing ability of the investigative officers are clearly depicted in these dramas although they paint an unclear picture with regard to the actual job at hand of aScenes of Crime Officer(SOCO). Therefore, this article will elaborate on what are the duties involved when it comes to a SOCO in the UK although the job description would not change much when it comes to such officers in other countries as well.
Overview of a scene of crime officer
In general, the Scene of Crime Officers in UK could be either police officers or skilled civilian officers working in a team. They will most likely be stationed in police headquarters or divisional offices although they have to spend most of their time attending to scenes of crime wherever they take place within their jurisdiction. However, the SOCOs in the UK have to divide their time among fieldwork, lab work and office work as they have to undertake different roles as and when they take over a scene of crime.
Securing and extracting evidence
Among the foremost tasks assigned to SOCOs, responding and prioritizing the calls from police officers and taking charge of crime scenes accordingly are highly important. By taking charge of a crime scene, the SOCOs should be able to extract whatever the evidence that may be present in the area in order to carry out the investigation by the crime detectives and by other police officers. Securing the location, preventing contamination or un-lawful access to the crime scene even by police officers is one aspect of the SOCOs duties.
Collection of evidence
Depending on the crime scene, the SOCO should decide on what evidence to collect and how best the evidence should be collected. This includes taking photographs, developing the same and printing, gathering forensic evidence such as samples of blood, hair, footprints, tyre marks and even cigarette butts as any such evidence might become useful during the investigative process. Obtaining fingerprints from objects, suspects, prisoners, dead bodies as well as from anyone who had access to the crime scene would also be the duty of the Scene of Crime Officer.
Processing evidence
Following the collection of samples and other evidence from the crime scene, the SOCOs are responsible for transporting the same to the lab and preserving them for future analysis. Based on the gathered evidence, the SOCOs should submit written reports and be present in the court when evidence needs defending. At the same time, the SOCOs may have to make use of the lab in order to perform certain analysis of the evidence that have been collected although forensic experts and scientists would be doing most of the tasks with regard to the analysis of collected evidence.
Thekey skills
Thus, according to recruiting agencies, the key skills required of a Scene of Crime Officer would include the ability to cope with pressure, patience, a logical and an inquiring mind, meticulous attention to detail, excellent written and oral communication skills, good team-working and problem-solving abilities. In addition, the SOCOs also need to demonstrate good vision including accurate color vision and physical fitness.
Therefore, the recruiting agencies would like to consider people who possess GCSE and A/L qualifications as well as experience in police work, photography or any other training pertaining to forensic investigations.
