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Young Forensic Scientists Forum Newsletter - November 2000 Dealing
With Dead People and Such: My Job as a Crime Scene Investigator |
| "How do you deal with seeing dead people every day?" This is the question I now get asked more frequently than, "Where are you from?" As a southern girl transplanted in the northeast for graduate school, I continuously got asked my geographical origin after I spoke and my unique southern accent hung onto every word. Now, since I have moved back to the good ole south, my accent is not quite so unique. However, my chosen career seems to have people just as puzzled. Since I recently began my first paying job in the world of forensic science as a Crime Scene Investigator in Atlanta, Georgia, everyone I know, and many people I do not, have asked me the question I am now used to hearing daily, "How do you do that?" My answer usually starts out with a shrug and an "I don't know" and ends with a joke about dead people not talking back. However, the majority of the public's disbelief regarding my career came as a shock after being in graduate school for two years and being surrounded by fellow forensic scientists. I now have slowly begun to realize the profession I have chosen is truly unique. I remember several years ago when I had no idea what a forensic scientist was, and I forget there are still people who, post O.J. and JonBenet, do not realize the integral role forensic science plays in the law enforcement community. My interest in forensic science began about six years ago when I signed up for an internship with a forensic pathologist in Mississippi. I am not sure I even knew what forensic science was at the time, and certainly had no idea it would end up being my career. A few months later I went on my first crime scene, which I still remember in detail. From the unique ceramic cat, under which the victim hid her money, to the color of the kitchen, and the beautiful blood spatter pattern on the bedroom wall, I can still picture the scene like it happened yesterday. At some point during the four-hour drive to or from the crime scene, I knew this was something I could do every day. Three internships, several jobs, (some good, most bad), and a graduate degree later, I have now achieved my goal. When I try to explain to people that I do not see dead people every day, they still do not understand how I manage to deal with the number I do see. In fact, my job deals with much more than death investigation. I get free rides in the police helicopter, also known as aerial photo missions. I have seen the inside of several houses in the area, and therefore gotten some decorating tips and many more tips on how not to decorate. I also get to search through people's cars and houses, which is terribly exciting to me due to my southern genes that were bred for nosiness. Every day I come in contact with different people, situations, and bizarre events. Nothing surprises or shocks me and I can honestly say when I wake up and get ready for work, I have no idea what the next eight hours will entail. There are no normal or boring days, and I cannot think of any other job where I could have this much fun and get paid. After six years of trying to take all the right steps to fulfill my dream of becoming a crime scene investigator, it is refreshing to know that I have yet to wake up and dread going to work. I have had more jobs than I can count, and there were many mornings I woke up and thought I would not make it through another day. There were days I left work at five o'clock and I was already dreading returning at eight o'clock the next morning. Now I cannot wait to get to work everyday to find out what happened during the shift I was off. In fact, if I see my coworkers on the breaking news story of the day while I am at home, it is hard to stay at home and not be apart of the crime scene. Detective Bailey in the robbery - homicide unit says, I "have the fever." Well, I guess he is right. Once I become a seasoned veteran I am sure it will become less and less difficult to stay at home when I am off work. However, I do not ever think my love for the work will decrease or the extreme satisfaction I get when I know something I did helped solve a case. This type of satisfaction with my job is extremely refreshing after the several bad jobs I have had and dealing with the day-to-day frustration that often comes with the assignments and stresses of graduate school. In school it was easy to get caught up in the next research paper that was due, or the latest lab experiment and lose sight of the ultimate goal. Unfortunately I believe a large number of college students get so caught up in the day-to-day stresses and assignments of college they tend to lose sight of the big picture. I know I struggled with why I had to do certain assignments or experiments in graduate school, but in the end they all made me a better crime scene investigator. It is important to remember the ultimate goal and it is possible to wake up in the morning excited about work, rather than dreading it. I am certainly glad I attained my goal and I actually like what I am doing. And as far as the dead people go…it's the live people at work that are hardest to deal with. |
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© 2000 Young Forensic Scientists Forum / American Academy of Forensic Sciences |