Abstract
Forensic science is the application of scientific techniques to solve crimes. It includes everything from collecting and analyzing crime scene evidence to using DNA to identify people guilty of a crime. It can be used in criminal investigations to identify a perpetrator or determine if someone is guilty of a crime. Forensic scientists use specialized tools and equipment to gather evidence from crime scenes, such as firearms and blood stains. They also collect DNA samples from suspects for testing with forensic methods such as fingerprinting or automatic voice recognition. The results from these tests are often used in court cases as proof that someone committed a crime or was involved in one. For example, fingerprints can be compared against those found at different crime scenes to establish whether two people have been in contact with each other before they committed a crime together. To use forensic science in criminal investigations, it is necessary to understand the context of a case. In some cases, this may involve understanding the social, legal, or political climate that existed at the time of a crime. For example, suppose a murder occurred during a war between two countries. In that case, it may be difficult for forensic scientists to obtain reliable evidence from the body if there are no witnesses who can testify to what happened before or after the victim died. The use of forensics in criminal investigations has increased substantially over the past several decades for various reasons, including the increasing complexity of crime scenes and the rapid growth in forensic technology. This paper will discuss how forensic science is used by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and defense attorneys, and forensic experts to solve crimes.
Use of Forensic Science in Criminal Investigations
Forensic science is applying scientific knowledge to investigate criminal cases through science and technology. Forensic scientists use various techniques and methods to analyze objects, documents, and other evidence at crime scenes. They can be called upon to testify in court about their findings. Forensic science is used in criminal investigations because it provides crucial information about the circumstances of crimes and their perpetrators. While it is impossible to prove guilt without evidence, forensic science can help investigators determine who committed the crime and whether any suspects need to be questioned further or even arrested for involvement. Therefore, Forensic Science uses scientific methods and techniques to solve crimes, gather evidence, and bring criminals to justice, analyzing physical evidence found at crime scenes, such as fingerprints, DNA, or blood samples, compared to samples taken from suspects or victims of crimes to determine if there is a match, provides scientific proof that something occurred or exists, such as a fingerprint left behind by a suspect at the scene of a crime or DNA evidence that links a suspect to an unsolved murder, allows investigators to gather evidence from various sources without contaminating any potential evidence before it gets tested by qualified experts who know how to interpret results correctly and without bias towards either party involved and also helps prevent future crimes by providing evidence that prosecutors can use during court proceedings among others.
The field of forensic science is a combination of criminology, law enforcement, and biology. It encompasses scientific methods and techniques to solve crimes, gather evidence, and bring criminals to justice ((Girard, 2021). Forensic scientists use various scientific methods and techniques to solve crimes, gather evidence, and bring criminals to justice in criminology. They work closely with law enforcement officials to gather information about the physical or mental state of a suspect or victim that can be used in court cases. Forensic scientists also collect biological samples from suspects or victims to determine if they have been exposed to certain diseases, such as HIV or hepatitis C, while committing crimes. These experts are often called upon by prosecutors who need their help after an arrest has been made to prove whether or not the suspect was involved in a crime before being arrested. Forensic scientists also provide expert testimony during trials where one side is fighting over whether or not someone should be found guilty for committing a crime like murder or rape against another person because either side does not present enough evidence during trial proceedings themselves.” Therefore, the investigation begins with collecting evidence from the crime scene, which can include fingerprints, DNA samples, blood stains, hair follicles, weapon fragments, or any other physical traces left behind at the scene. The evidence collected by forensic scientists can then be analyzed by various techniques depending on the available information (for example, if a camera was recording the scene). This analysis provides clues as to what happened at that time and place; for example: “This stain was left by someone wearing black shoe polish. To achieve this, Forensic scientists use a range of specialized tools, including microscopes and chemical analysis kits, to examine evidence at crime scenes and in related locations. They can also create mockups of crime scenes based on witness testimony and other information.
Forensic scientists analyze physical evidence from crime scenes, such as fingerprints, DNA, or blood samples. For example, fingerprints are analyzed by comparing them to those in a database that contains millions of prints. Blood samples are analyzed for biological markers to help identify the victim or determine the time of death. DNA is also analyzed using genetic testing to determine whether someone is related to another person or an animal (Juola,2019).). Additionally, Forensic scientists analyze physical evidence found at crime scenes to help identify perpetrators, victims, and locations of crimes. They also use their skills to develop new forensic techniques for solving crimes and recovering stolen property. Forensic scientists are responsible for determining the cause of death in a murder investigation. Forensic scientists are trained to use scientific methods to collect and analyze evidence from a crime scene to determine what happened. For example, they may collect fingerprints from a crime scene and compare them with known suspects to identify them. Forensic scientists also use scientific methods to determine how long it has been since a crime occurred by examining its physical evidence. For instance, if blood were found at a crime scene, forensic scientists would know that it must have come from someone who was bleeding before the blood was present at the scene—or else it would not have formed into tiny droplets of liquid on or near the surface of the ground where it fell. This can help determine when someone’s body has been moved from one place to another. Forensic scientists test for certain chemicals in substances such as blood and urine that may be used as clues in solving crimes involving human violence or death.
Since the purpose of forensic science is to be able to determine whether or not a suspect or victim is guilty or innocent, forensic science is used to compare samples taken from suspects or victims of crimes in order to determine if there is a match. If there is no match, it can be used as evidence that the suspect or victim did not commit the crime (Gehl & Plecas, 2017). The first step in forensic science is collecting evidence from the crime scene and preserving it to allow for later examination. This may include collecting fingerprints, swabbing surfaces for trace evidence (such as DNA), and photographing or videotaping evidence at the crime scene. Once collected, evidence needs to be preserved by taking care of it so that it does not degrade over time or lose any information. For example, suppose fingerprints are found at a crime scene. In that case, they need to be placed in an envelope with other evidence items and stored until they can be analyzed by experts specializing in interpreting fingerprints. Once all relevant information has been collected from the scene and preserved for later analysis, investigators will analyze it using techniques such as microscopy or DNA testing to determine whether or not there is a match between known samples taken from suspects or victims of crimes and unknown samples found at the scene. Therefore, Criminology focuses on the criminal justice system and includes crime prevention measures and punishment for offenders; for a judge or jury to determine if someone is guilty (or not), they need to look at all available evidence collected during an investigation. Forensic scientists must compare all evidence against each other in order for them to determine if it does indeed match up with what was found on the crime scene.
Since the use of forensic science is essential for any criminal investigation by helping investigators determine what happened and who was responsible for a particular crime, it is a must to the provision of scientific proof that something occurred or exists, such as a fingerprint left behind by a suspect at the scene of a crime or DNA evidence that links a suspect to an unsolved murder( Rana,2018).To achieve this, scientists study crime scenes and gather evidence from them using tools such as microscopes, cameras, and radiation detectors to collect information about what happened and how it happened. This process is known as forensic science because it involves using science to investigate crimes. Once they have gathered all this information, they make conclusions based on what they find. Those conclusions range from determining whether or not someone committed a crime (e.g., did they leave fingerprints or blood spots at the scene?) to determine what kind of weapon was used during the crime (e.g., did there appear to be wounded consistent with being stabbed by an ice pick?), to determine whether or not someone committed suicide (e.g., did there appear to be gunshot residue on hands?)The result is that forensic scientists provide scientific proof for what occurred at each crime scene through their investigations and analyses of evidence collected from those scenes.
Forensic science is a powerful tool that allows investigators to gather evidence from various sources without contaminating any potential evidence before it gets tested by qualified experts who know how to interpret results correctly and without bias towards either party involved in criminology (Roux et al.,2018). Therefore, Forensic science involves examining physical evidence in a criminal case after an investigation has been completed. This process can determine whether or not a crime was committed and by whom, as well as the perpetrator’s identity and any witnesses involved with the crime. This investigation requires a combination of scientific methods, including chemical analysis, microscopy, and histological studies. Forensic scientists also use various types of technology, such as DNA analysis and fingerprinting. They may also use computer software to analyze data collected from different sources (including video surveillance footage) to identify an individual or determine what happened during an event where no eyewitnesses are directly available for questioning. Therefore, Forensic scientists are trained in the proper techniques for collecting, preserving, and analyzing evidence to provide a more accurate picture of what occurred at a crime scene. They also can conduct tests on human remains or other physical evidence that can be used as evidence against a person accused of a crime. Forensic scientists also use their skills in research activities like interviewing witnesses and collecting documents related to crimes. In addition, they may collect fingerprints from surfaces where there have been no apparent signs of tampering with physical evidence. Forensic scientists offer valuable assistance during criminal investigations that help law enforcement agencies solve crimes quickly and efficiently. The scientists collect information about a crime scene—from fingerprints to hair samples to bloodstains—and use that information to help solve crimes. They also analyze this evidence for signs of tampering and evaluate whether or not it could have been tampered with to change its outcome (such as if there are any unexplained inconsistencies). If there are any questions about how trustworthy the evidence is, forensic scientists will compare it against another sample from the same person or object (called a control sample) to ensure no changes were made during processing. The process used by forensic scientists is exceptionally detailed and highly regulated to ensure that their results are accurate and unbiased. Also, Forensic scientists need to maintain high standards when performing their duties because they are held accountable for providing accurate information about what occurred during an event where there are no eyewitnesses available for questioning directly.
In addition, since the use of forensic evidence has been an essential tool in the criminal justice system since its inception, the law enforcement agencies began to identify and gather evidence from crime scenes, they realized that such information could be used to identify criminals, prosecute them, and convict them. Therefore, Forensic science plays a crucial role in preventing future crimes by providing evidence that can be used by prosecutors during court proceedings in criminology by provides methods for collecting and analyzing physical evidence, which can then be used to determine what happened at a crime scene or on a suspect (Mack & Chatterjee,2021). For example, if fingerprints on something that looks like it might have been touched by someone involved in a crime, then fingerprint analysis would be able to help prove who made those prints and when they were made. By using forensic science, police can gather evidence about a crime scene and then use this information to convict criminals. Therefore, to make criminal investigations as possible, Forensic scientists often work closely with investigators from the police department to gather evidence from crime scenes, including fingerprints, clothing fibers, blood spatter patterns, bullet casings and shell casings, shoe prints, and tire tracks. The forensic scientist then analyzes these items using specialized tools such as microscopes or spectrometers to determine if identifying characteristics could help identify a suspect or victim.
In conclusion, Forensic science is a field of study that involves the analysis of evidence found at crime scenes, such as fingerprints, DNA, or blood samples. Forensic science aims to gather evidence for use during court proceedings in criminology. Forensic scientists can also use their expertise in forensic science to determine whether there is any match between a suspect and a crime scene evidence sample. Therefore, Forensic science techniques have been used to solve crimes, gather evidence, and bring criminals to justice for centuries. The most common use of forensic science techniques is to analyze physical evidence found at crime scenes, such as fingerprints, DNA, or blood samples. Forensic scientists compare samples taken from suspects or victims of crimes to determine if there is a match. This provides scientific proof that something occurred or exists—like a fingerprint left behind by a suspect at a crime scene or DNA evidence linking a suspect to an unsolved murder. Forensic scientists can also gather evidence from various sources without contaminating any potential evidence before it gets tested by qualified experts who know how to interpret results correctly and without bias towards either party involved. This helps prevent future crimes by providing evidence that prosecutors can use during court proceedings in criminology.
References
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