Criminalist Job Description

The profession of a criminalist has been made famous thanks to a hit television show. However, this profession is not as glamorous as it is made out to be. There is a lot of hard work involved in this profession. Criminalists are the people who are responsible of gathering evidence on a crime scene. To know more about this profession, read the criminalist job description we have provided for your benefit.

The criminalists have an extremely important job. They have to gather and analyze evidence at a crime scene. The detectives are completely reliant on them, and they have to deliver every time. The criminalists have the best forensic tools at their disposal, and they have to make good use of them.

They have to gather even the minutest of evidence, and preserve it well. Then they have to analyze it, make reports for submission. These reports have to be accurate as detectives base their investigations on them, and the reports are also presented in the courts as evidence.

The criminalists have expertise in a particular field, like some can become experts in DNA, while others can be blood spatter experts. There are many things that can be specialized in, that help in solving crimes. However, all criminalists have to know a little bit about other expertise.

Criminalists have to be updated on all the latest developments in forensic science as it is directly related to their profession. They have to learn those techniques and use them in solving crimes. They have to coordinate with the detectives, and give them the best possible support in solving the crime.

Another part of the criminalist job description is the long working hours. They could be called to a crime scene even at the most ungodly hour. Hence, they have to be prepared to work anytime. The money in this profession is decent, but the biggest plus side would be the fact that they are helping in solving crimes and putting bad guys behind bars. Therefore, read the criminalist job description given in detail below.

Duties and Responsibilities

The criminalists have to gather evidence at a crime scene
They have to take the evidence back to their laboratories and analyze it
They have to make reports based on the evidence and submit to the detectives
Sometimes, they even have to appear in court to testify against suspects, so they have to be doubly sure about the reports they make about the evidence
They have to report to the station chief
They have to train all the new criminalists that are hired by the department
They should know all the latest developments in forensic science
The criminalists have to be ready to work at any hour of the day, despite having an eight hour shift
They have to meet deadlines regarding their work as almost all the work they do needs to be submitted at the earliest
They have to be unbiased when they are working, and should not let feelings get in the way of work, as many times they could be working on the case of acquaintance

Education

They need to have a bachelor's degree in forensic science
They need to specialize in the subject of their choice

Career Advancement

They get seniority in the job they do. They are even entitled to good benefits and pension. The criminalist job description will guide on how to apply for this profession if you are interested in it.