Criminalist

Criminalist

This position is located in the Trace Evidence Unit within the Criminalistics Services Division at the Forensic Science Center in Edmond, OK.

Basic Purpose

Positions within this job family perform and/or manage forensic analysis of physical evidence from criminal cases and/or convicted offender DNA samples.

Major Work Duties

1. Performs scientific analysis on items of evidence submitted for forensic testing, including but not limited to chemical and physical analysis of trace evidence, issues report on their findings, and testifies in court.
2. Performs all activities in accordance with the OSBI quality system, OSBI policies, protocols, accreditation standards, federal/state statutes, etc.
3. Manages evidence according to policy and accreditation standards and maintains proper chain of custody. May collect evidence from crime scenes/morgue responses, as applicable, handles evidence in casework, and returns or retains evidence as appropriate.
4. Stays current with proficiency tests, up-to-date with literature reviews and/or other continuing education, and conducts other duties as assigned, including but not limited to quality control, research/validation, and performing verifications and review of other analysts' casework.
5. Responds to crime scenes and morgue requests as needed. Trains other analysts, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and others as requested/assigned.

Typical Functions

• Strictly adheres to validated and internationally accepted scientific principles, methods, and quality assurance/quality control; follows safety and health procedures; examines and analyzes various types of forensic evidence from criminal cases and/or convicted offender DNA samples and accurately interprets the results; generates complete, accurate documentation and files of all forensic analysis performed; prepares laboratory examination reports for use by law enforcement entities and criminal justice members; enters/searches evidence profiles/patterns in forensic databases such as CODIS, AFIS, PDQ, and NIBIN.
• Processes and interprets crime scenes in the field routinely being exposed to biohazardous and chemical dangers; recognizes, documents, collects, packages, and transports physical evidence to a forensic laboratory for analysis, ensuring the integrity of the evidence is protected. Fingerprints deceased persons for the medical examiner's office to aid in identifications and investigations, occasionally retrieving body parts to process them in a sterile lab environment; receives medical examiner's evidence to submit to an OSBI laboratory.
• Complies with subpoenas, discovery orders, and other orders of the court; testifies as an expert in court and/or administrative hearings concerning the results of forensic examinations of physical evidence and crime scenes; prepares court exhibits as necessary.
• Actively reviews and assesses publications and directives being introduced at the federal level to determine impacts on state and local laboratories and practices; seeks membership on federal boards and organizations to influence direction of forensics; researches scientific/technical literature and forensic methods; attends training to maintain current knowledge and skills; develops/validates new or improved techniques/instrumentation for use in the forensic analysis of physical evidence; writes, reviews, and updates technical protocols, quality assurance policy/procedures, safety and health policies, and operational policies/procedures.
• Identifies grant programs that can provide needed funding to the laboratory; actively participates in writing grant applications and producing regularly scheduled grant reports to federal and state grant administrators to prove compliance with stringent grant program requirements; develops and closely monitors grant budgets when grants have been awarded.
• Provides training to criminalists, agents, crime scene technicians, student interns, law enforcement officers, forensic scientists, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges; represents the laboratory at committees, meetings, boards, and professional organizations; makes presentations to civic, educational, professional, law enforcement and other interested groups; and occasionally gives media interviews.
• Monitors proposed legislation to evaluate its impact on the forensic community; writes new legislation or modifies existing legislation when needed to improve the field of forensics in Oklahoma; educates law makers about proposed legislation and occasionally testifies before legislative bodies to explain legislative changes that are needed.
• Performs administrative and/or technical review of forensic work; performs internal quality audits/inspections of units, regions, disciplines, and laboratory functions; ensures technical compliance, quality, and uniformity; understands and complies with standards required for the laboratory to maintain international accreditation and federal standards regulating the analysis of DNA evidence and DNA database profiles.
• Develops and maintains effective professional communications and working relationships with peers, co-workers, supervisors, administrators, law enforcement officers, medical examiners, forensic professionals, prosecutors, defense attorneys, educators, and professional organizations; advises, educates and assists investigators and prosecutors in furthering criminal investigations and in preparing cases for trial by providing guidance on appropriate laboratory testing, and on the meaning, significance and applicability of the results of forensic analysis.

Level Descriptor

• Level I: This is the entry level where incumbents train to perform forensic analysis, and perform some limited supervised casework. All aspects of assigned tasks are clearly defined and all work is technically and administratively reviewed during performance and upon completion. At this level, incumbents may accompany senior analysts to crime scenes and perform tasks under direct supervision. Incumbents do not have supervisory, research and development, or training responsibilities.
• Level II: At this career level incumbents perform a range of basic work as a forensic laboratory analyst. They perform scientific and technical analysis in all but the most difficult and complex criminal cases. They train to perform more advanced and complex analysis. They may assist in training others in basic work, perform limited technical and administrative reviews, and perform limited supervised research and development, and may assist in crime scene work.
• Level III: This is the specialist level where incumbents independently plan and perform advanced scientific and technical analysis of physical evidence in criminal cases, including the most complex and difficult of examinations requiring extensive knowledge and high skill levels. They are individually responsible for the accuracy, sufficiency, and timely completion of their work. Incumbents may train other criminalists, function as lead worker by assigning/reviewing work of others, conduct research and scientific studies to develop new techniques and methods, assist in writing technical protocols and laboratory procedures, and may serve as unit or regional supervisor in the absence of the supervisor. Incumbents at this level may independently process crime scenes.

Education and Experience

• Level I: Minimum of a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in Chemistry, Biology, Forensic Science or a closely related natural science. Candidates must have successfully completed (grade of a C or better) General Chemistry I, General Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry I, and Organic Chemistry II.
• Level II: Requirements include those identified in Level I plus either one year of experience working full-time as a forensic laboratory criminalist in the OSBI's forensic chemistry-based disciplines (Controlled Substances, Forensic Toxicology or Trace Evidence Units) or one year in a position with another agency in which the applicant performed forensic analysis full-time in forensic chemistry/trace evidence.
• Level III: Requirements include those identified in Level II plus either two years of experience working full-time as a forensic laboratory criminalist in the OSBI's forensic chemistry-based disciplines (Controlled Substances, Forensic Toxicology or Trace Evidence Units) or two years of experience with another agency in which the applicant performed forensic analysis full-time in forensic chemistry/trace evidence.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Competencies

• Level I: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of the assigned field of work (chemistry, biology, forensic science, criminalistics, criminal justice, latent print development, print identification, firearms and toolmarks, digital evidence, or document examination); of basic scientific principles; of methods used in forensic analysis; of grammar, punctuation, English usage, and spelling; and of math. Ability is required to prepare evidence and exhibits for court; to effectively testify in court or administrative hearings; to organize and present facts and opinions clearly; and to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Level II: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of the assigned field of work (chemistry, biology, forensic science, criminalistics, criminal justice, latent print development, print identification, firearms and toolmarks, digital evidence, or document examination); of basic scientific principles; of methods used in forensic analysis; of grammar, punctuation, English usage, and spelling; of math; of criminal investigative procedures relating to laboratory criminalistics; of statutory criminal law; of laboratory techniques; of Laboratory Quality Assurance/Quality Control standards; and of laboratory safety policies and practices. Ability is required to prepare evidence and exhibits for court; to effectively testify in court or administrative hearings; to organize and present facts and opinions clearly; to establish and maintain effective working relationships; to use laboratory equipment and instrumentation efficiently; and to conduct crime scene investigations.