The CSI Effect

[JC]

Dear Members.

This poll is due to close on the 8th Feb 10.  Todate the response has been good.  If you haven't yet voted could I please encourage you to do so.  The results are annonymous but the information is going to help a number of members with research.

Many thanks

The CSI Effect is the name given to the influence TV has had on the general public/ jury's/Judges and Police Officers.  It is believed by many academics that these programmes such as CSI:Crime Scene Investigations, CSI: New York/Miami, Dexter etc has changed the way people view forensic science and the investigation techniques available.  Jury's have asked for evidence not relevant to the case, victims of crime have complained when told DNA takes more than 24 hours to process.  Lawyers in the USA now make a point of asking the jury about their viewing habits prior to trail.


The idea of this poll is to see what the viewing public think, what the CSI's and forensic experts see and to what degree TV is influencing people.

All votes cast are private.  The results will only be viewed by those who vote and no one individual can see what anyone else has voted for.

Please be patient, it appears the general public cannot see the poll.  This is being worked on as we speak and will be rectified as soon as possible.
Thanks for taking part.

[audiolex]

That show is the bane of my professional life! The main problem is that clients - well some clients - seem to assume you must just be incompetent if you can't process and analyse evidence as quickly, comprehensively and
definitively as the CSI team.

[alievans]

I think we can all allow tv producers some artistic licence, but these shows often totally misrepresent forensic science and it is damaging. They do analysis that just isn't feasable and draw wild conclusions that would never make it past a CPS review, let alone into a court room.
The public now have unrealisitic expectations of what we can achieve, what we can examine and no concept at all that we work to budgets so that we can not send away every last exhibit to a lab.
I probably have to explain this at every job I go to - Over the years I have developed a standard speech I churn out time after time and I expect most CSI's do the same.

I see the CSI effect every single day. And worryingly for me I also see it creeping in amongst some police officers too. Unfeasable MG21 requests are getting more common and we're having to retrain officers regularly.

And no, we can't examine crime scenes in 3 inch heels either

[soilfit]

We want to educate and inform as much as we can so that people are realistic in expectations. However, we also must remember that TV and print media like crime novels are often set to entertain as a first priority and are also about characterisation ... As long as the writers are encouraged to work alongside forensic scientists, police practitioners, lawyers and doctors etc then the result will be delivery of more relevant information. This I believe is largely the case in the UK. Now, the USA is another matter....and with global TV networks this can be a problem...

[toni]

when we are going on crime scene.. we have problem with that tv show... the people tell us how to work on crime scene... that make problem and with first respodner on crime scene... the frist police officer, probably watch csi las vegas... and he know everithing about evidence... )))

[JC]

I read an article recently quoting a CSI from the States who discussed a victim who had been stabbed. The victim wanted to know if the CSI was going to pour cast into the wound as they had seen this on TV and the result was a perfect replica of the blade from the wound.

Cant blame the victim but these shows really should carry a disclaimer at the beginning and end.