The Reality of CSI
Crime series have been a common hobby for the people nowadays, but they are not that famous and not that varied in early age. Most of them only focus on police officer- how they capture criminals by their brilliant heads. Things changed rapidly in year 2000, the “CSI: crime scene investigation” soon drive audience crazy. To be more specifically, it is science that fascinate audience. The similar topics are introduced overwhelmingly in “Criminal Minds”, “Bones” and “The Closer”. They are focusing on different part of crime investigation respectively, though taste differ, they are all welcomed by audience alike. Fans of crime series come from diverse occupations, ages, countries. All they have in common is they are expecting the perpetrators convinced by the evidence which come from high technology. Crime series open a door for mysterious interrogation and appeal more people engage in this career. Above all, it is a good chance for us to learn the special knowledge provided by these crime series. Meanwhile, recognize the difference between the real life and television show. Then, we think about ourselves. Though the crime series’ background is in United States, suppose it is happened in Taiwan? Do crime series show us another possible solution?CSI series are the most famous one among crime series; meanwhile, it creates most of the misunderstanding, too. Even though the existence of “CSI effects” is debatable, it surely changes the original situation in many places, first of all, in the courtroom. says:
“2005 Oregon district attorney Josh Marquis, vice president of the National District Attorneys Association, told CBS News, “Jurors now expect us to have a DNA test for just about every case. They expect us to have the most advanced technology possible, and they expect it to look like it does on television.”(Houck,2006,p.84)
Except for longing more DNA evidence, the jurors hope that ballisticians, anthropologists or hematologists can show up in the court and explain evidence personally for them. It is impossible. Actually, some of the powerful machines on TV are fabricated. They are beyond the reach of present technology. The jurors can’t tell what time can use DNA evidence; either can they understand its complexity. This unrealistic expectation forces the police collect more evidence from the crime scenes or they will be seen indolent. As the old saying goes,” One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” For a CSI, tiny trash is possible the treasure in their eyes, but most of the evidence from the crime scenes is truly rubbish. The ballooned number of items brought back by the police overloaded the crime labs. However, it reflects more needed space for storing evidence at the same time, for the possibility of rehabilitating framed sentences.
Secondly, the truth about the detectives is that it is impossible for one detective can be a detective, police and a forensic scientist at the same time. These occupations required different training and education. It is also impossible for these detectives pay a full attention on a case one time. They have numerous cases waiting for them. Usually, CSI hardly have chance to know the further developing of a case except for summoning to court, which is not so common on the TV. They work at a crime scene, collect necessary evidence and bring them back the laboratory, and then they move on to the next crime scene. The police are the one who picture all the clues together. In order to make sure the suspect is who they want, the required time is actually longer than it on TV. Mostly the forensic evidence is helpful but they are not so decisive all the time. The police often have only bodies but no other clues can point out the criminals directly. Furthermore, even though all the evidence indicate clearly the identification of criminals, it’s useless if the suspects refuse to do it. Forensic science is not utilizable in each case. Still, closing a case has to rely on the police officers’ brilliant brains.
The Art of interrogation
The limitation of physical evidence is surely exists. The message from the suspects and witnesses is the key for solving a case when lack of physical evidence. The confession, the acknowledgement of crime, shows how important a good interrogator is. To the suspects, interrogation gives them a chance to explain why they are involved in this case. To the law executors, they can piece the truth together by combination of evidence and confession. Compare to the “CSI”, “The Closer” puts more emphasis on interrogation. The main character, Brenda, is a professional interrogator. After she collects necessary evident, she knows who the murder is, and then she talks to the suspect, walks out the interview room with confession and closes this case. “Interrogation, a non-coercive procedure in which a law enforcement officer systematically questions a suspect in order to elicit a confession.” (Duff, 2008)The police cannot coerce people involved in the crime receive interrogation. It is not a detention. The requirement must depend on probable cause. The suspects are allowed to leave whenever they want and the room for interrogation must be unlocked. To sum up, legal interrogation must build on both the police and the suspects’ agreement, so the privilege of suspects is protected. That’s why Miranda warning, which we often heard on the TV when the detectives are going to capture suspects. “Anything that you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. “The suspects must be informed that they have the constitutionally privilege to remain silence. Only when the withdrawing the right of silence is established then the police can interrogate. Confession that out of physical abuse or involuntarily interrogation is unbelievable. Some may guess Miranda warning will prevent the suspects from telling the truth. On the contrary, most of them are willing to withdraw the privilege of remain silence because they have to explain to the police. However, willing to talk doesn’t mean that all their words are authentic. It is impossible that the suspects admit to committee the crime voluntarily. Therefore, during the persuasion the police trick or deceive suspects unavoidably. Even though the police are proved to offer unreal message to the suspects, it won’t destroy the confession admissibility. The principles for cheating are two: firstly, the deceit shouldn’t arouse shock the conscience; secondly, the deceit shouldn’t be dangerous enough to make an innocent person confess. Overall, it depends on totality of circumstances. Interrogation is definitely an art. Only those excellent interrogators are able to make them be trusted by the suspects and ask right questions. Good interrogators are also good actors, too, for interrogation needs diverse performance. It is a job needs highly mental intelligence and careful observation. A true interrogation actually takes longer time than it on TV. A successful interrogation bases on years of experience. “It goes beyond anything that you can reduce to a formula put in a book and expect people mechanically to be able to follow.”(Duff,2008) In Taiwan, we neither have sufficient equipment for a proper interrogation, nor do we have enough professional interrogators. When suspects are brought in police station and asked for interrogation, they must be clearly informed of their rights and be put into a private room. The place for interrogation shouldn’t be just right near the police officer’s desk or a room with too many irrelevant people in there. It should be only two persons in there, one is interrogator, and other is suspects. If necessary, the lawyer is allowed to attend. Verbal abuse or non-verbal abuse is neither used to get confession. Suspects do have human rights. Before convincing, they are not criminals and the police should ledged human right to them. Finding out the truth is the ultimate goal of interrogation.
Psychological Profiling
Psychological profiling(心理描繪技術)is a profound skill which needs practitioners equipped with sociology, criminology and psychology. Presently, BAU (Behavior Analysis Unit) in FBI is the most famous organization which assists investigation by psychological profiling. This team is also the feature of a popular crime series, “Criminal Mind”. Most of the cases are adapted from real cases, and the procedures on the TV are close to the real situation. The case presented to BAU means police have to rely on this special skill this time to picture the suspect because all physical evidence are useless. When BAU arrives at the crime scene, they collect all the information about the suspect as far as they can. Specialists infer the possible types of suspects from the situation of crime scene and the victims. If the crime scene is tidy and hardly to trace murderer, it may suggests the suspect is organized and clearly knows what he is doing. He is not just out of control. There is a plan in his mind. Finding certain victims is the feature of a typical series killer. Some are eager to clean the world so prostitutes and tramps are their target. Some may be injured by their mothers who are tall, thin and with blonde hair so women who fit these descriptions are easily to be aimed. A serious frustration in life may be the switch of start killing, such as divorce, dismissal, someone’s death are all possible. The longer the time for searching for him, the more dangerous the locals are. With this profiling, the police can narrow down the number of suspects and save more time.Criminals who commit these bloodcurdling murders are not ordinary criminals, but most of them have ordinary appearances. They talk reasonably, dress normally, even some of them are handsome and intelligent. These criminals, or psychopaths, must be isolated when they are proved of having mental disease. That’s the reason why the police must capture them the sooner the better. They must be stopped or there will be more victims. Any ordinary motives for committing cannot be applied to them, such as money, poverty, or merely carelessness. They kill for their own emotional satisfactions. Some of them do know killing is not right but it is impossible for them to control themselves. No chance for fully recovery.
Psychological profiling is an useful tool during the investigation. If the profile matches the real killer, it can save more time for sieving out suspects and being advantageous in the probable negotiation with them. But the evidence from psychological profiling is doubtful to its credence. Not only in Taiwan, there is still a limit to how much psychological profiling can do in the world, due to the human resource and related equipment is not good enough. Only those experienced and specialized detectives are able to conjecture the possible psychological state of criminals. Besides, specialists should collect enough data and observe them for a long time so they can prove certain mode of conducts is scientifically exists. The disparity between the theory and real life needs more time to solve.
Powerful Words from Autopsy
Forensics are ever-present characters in crime series; furthermore, some series particularly let them chase suspects personally, such as “Bones”, “Dexter”. Whereas, forensics provide more evidence when they stay at mortuaries. Evidence from coroner’s inquest carry the weight with investigation. Time of death (TOD) and cause of death (COD) are decisive for the police narrowing the number of suspects. These are two strong proof of someone is involving in the crime. As long as the forensics’ words are incongruent with the suspect’s, he or she may not the one the police are searching for. Forensic have to cooperate with experts specialized in certain knowledge such as ballistics, zoologists or sculptors for various cause of death. Finishing the autopsy, forensics present a complete report to the police with all information about the body contained.Though forensics are powerful in investigation, in Taiwan, we have only few of them and low rate of autopsy. Because a coroner’s social status, working environment and payment is worse than a normal doctor has. A doctor salaried three hundred thousand dollars a month if he cure live people but only salaried eighty thousand if he chooses to cut the bodies open. Besides, being a professional forensics takes lengthy time. Only those who own strong determination succeed. Review the major cases in Taiwan, a professional forensics’ reporter can settle down controversy easily. In case of Su Jianhe, it is reported that two victims were died of knife wound, but the murder weapon is unknown and neither do the type of wounds. Lack of key details makes three defendants prove their innocent hard. Taiwan needs more benevolent and professional forensics. It is a pity that we just lost an authoritative forensics, Yang Risong recently.
Crime series indeed show many aspects in investigation. They not only spread knowledge about crime but also expose thorny situations in society to the audience, such as drugs, smuggle, or alienation among city lives. The fact that we have insufficient equipment and personnel in interrogation, psychological profile, and forensics investigation is reminded by them, too. However, the crime series’ ultimate goal is entertainment, not training audience to be CSI. Things show up on screen shouldn’t be treated as reality, either.
Reference
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