Criminalistics

Catalog description

Three lecture. An examination of the U.S. Constitution as it relates to the law enforcement function. Includes statutory law and judicial decisions governing the areas of arrest, search and seizure, interrogations and confessions, self-incrimination and other constitutional guarantees. Students will be able to: 1. Describe the history and scope of forensic science; 2. describe the organization and services of a crime laboratory; 3. describe the functions of the forensic scientist; 4. describe the various kinds of microscopes; 5. identify common types of physical evidence; 6. describe the collection and preservation of evidence; 7. describe the physical properties of paint, soils, and glass; 8. define the terms elements and compounds; 9. describe the proper analytical techniques for chromatography, spectrophotometry, and mass spectrometry; 10. describe the use of the emission spectrograph for inorganic analysis; 11. describe the chemistry of fire; 12. describe the history of fingerprinting; 13. describe the use of the Henry System to classify fingerprints; 14. describe the process for analyzing firearms for bullet comparisons, cartridge cases, gunpowder residues, and serial number restoration; 15. describe the comparative process for analyzing tool marks; 16. describe the various techniques used to analyze documents and examine voices.