Each participant was fingerprinted and photographed for their own authentic "mug shot" as a memento during a tour of the new Police/Fire/EMS building. This was followed by instruction on fingerprint classification, blood spatter patterns, crime scene management, evidence collection and analysis.
A free pizza luncheon was provided by Winterville Papa John's Pizza which sponsored the event for the Winterville Parks and Recreation department.
After lunch the new "detectives" were paired into teams and assigned to use their new skills in a mock homicide crime scene. Participants conducted their crime scene investigation just as real detectives would and learned that the responsibility of a crime scene technician is a highly skilled occupation requiring years of training and education. Participants learned how important accurate geometric measurements, note taking, chain of custody and photography were in providing courtroom quality evidence for prosecution.
Using various search methods and the proper means for collecting and assortment of evidence such as a firearm, bloody pipe and expended shell casings, the "detectives" diagramed then collected all the evidence. They then returned to "the lab" where they shared their evidence with other "detectives" to determine what deductions could be made about the crime.
Finally, the group had to classify their own fingerprints, determine what "negative" evidence existed and what evidence was "extraneous" before drawing their final conclusions.
Who did they determine was the suspect in their crime? You'll have to wait and participate in the next "CSI: Winterville" class! Contact the Winterville Parks and Recreation department for details or monitor the Winterville town and police department websites for future classes.
