Crime Scene Investigation

Forget the TV shows, this was the real deal! This was the final part of the academy and helped us apply many things we learned throughout the academy. Lots of time and effort was put into this and it was really neat. We started off by learning everything about processing crime scenes. We learned how to secure crime scenes, take photographs, collect and package evidence, and process fingerprints among other things. Then we got into groups that each went to a made-up crime scene where we had to put all of this to use. We got to interview victims and witnesses during this time, write reports and other paperwork, and finally testify in a mock court in a real Jefferson County court room. It was as close to the real deal as we could get in the academy. It was awesome and very much appreciated. Sorry I did not get any pictures!

DUI Stops

The one thing that stuck out to me about DUI stops is that the roadside tests that law enforcement officers administer across this country are standardized. They are the same in every state and thus must me done correctly. It is so important that we get people who are driving drunk off of our roads for the safety of our society. The highlight of the DUI training was the "wet lab" in which many volunteers drank various amounts of alcohol and then we got to practice recognizing signs of alcohol use and administer the roadside tests to them. This allowed us to get real life experience so thanks to all of the volunteers who helped us!