Is there such thing as a real CSI like on the show?

[KB50MJ]

Now I know there are real CSI's and stuff like that. But I've always heard that the procedures of the CSI's on the show don't depict real life.

Like the CSI's investigate crime scenes(which they are supposed to do. But the ones on the show also conduct raids, engage in suspect pursuit and arrest, interrogate suspects, and solve cases, which falls under the responsibility of uniformed officers and detectives, not CSI personnel. Although some detectives are also registered CSIs, this is exceedingly rare in actual life.

But is there a department out there that actually allows CSI's to do such things?

If I wanted to do all of those things mentioned above, what profession would be best?

Something tells me detective, becuase they get to do all that plus sometimes they can do some CSI work.

But what do you think?

 

[Speedystokesgirl]

It depends on the city. Some don't have civilian CSI's, like Vegas does. They have detectives and/or officers that are specifically trained for evidence collection.

So in Vegas the CSIs ONLY process the scene and collect evidence and turn it into the lab.

The same everywhere, but if the detectives and/or officers are trained, I suppose the could do questioning, raids, undercover works, etc.

 

[Smokey]

I'm going to go ahead and send this over to the Forensics forum where you might get a bit more input.

 

[Dizzney]

I know here where I am the CSI's are strictly collecting evidence and taking it to the lab to examine it and that is it. They once had a thing on our CSI's here and how they were NOT like the tv shows.

 

[Mrs. Sanders]

Well, I'm not so sure about how it works in the USA... since I'm from Argentina

Here we've got crime scene investigators, they work at the field collecting evidence and making the general scene procedures and so... then they take everything to the lab to analize (and other people does it, such as the lab rats on the show)... but they're not allowed to interrogate suspects, and they don't pursuit and arrest suspects either or solve any cases... this is all police work (they've usually got a homicide division that deals with that)

And... finally... the DA (though we don't actually call it that way) charges the suspect (like on the show)

 

[Dizzney]

Yes, that is how it is here too. The shows do the other stuff because overall I think it would be boring to just watch them every week only collecting evidence and then running through the machines and that was it.

 

[PraetorCorvinus]

It should be noted that a few detectives are licensed CSIs (i.e. Sofia Curtis) but that's apparently quite rare. Those would probably be the only ones who could do everything we see on the show.