DATE: February 27, 2019

TO: Professor Stephen Haslam

FROM: Andrea Hansen
SUBJECT: Information-Gathering Interview

I interviewed Jefferson Itami, a retired Senior Crime Scene Analyst, to learn about working in
the Forensic Science field. For convenience, we met after his final class of the day, so that he
could dedicate more time to answering my questions. I learned that this type of work is very
demanding and calls for precision, however, you are thoroughly trained and receive upgraded
training as better techniques emerge. Mr. Itami spoke of how rewarding this field is, not only
when the cases are solved and people are brought to justice, but also because you get to be
behind the scenes of it all, making sure that all of the protocols are being followed. This
interview motivated me to further my education, and to start working on my career as a Forensic
Scientist as soon as possible. Conducting this interview also showed me how over-prepared I
was with questions, and although this was not necessarily a bad thing, I was unable to ask all of
the questions that I had planned on, because of the lengthy answers that a lot of them required
Mr. Itami to give.

What Goes into Being a Forensic Scientist:

Mr. Itami stated that it is incredibly important to follow protocol, and mentioned that on-the-job
training is provided when a new technique is discovered, or if you realize that you want to add
on new skills to your specialty (for example: if you specialize in DNA collection and testing, but
want to train your skills in fingerprint collection). Mr. Itami stated that the gruesome crime
scenes are always different, and there isn’t ever a time where you become unphased by seeing
those scenes, however, you do learn to deal with them in an effective way the more that you deal
with them. He mentioned that evidence can get ruined or contaminated by collectors, however, it
is used as a training opportunity, instead of grounds for dismissal (depending if the person has
ruined evidence before). There are yearly conferences that teach new forensic practices to the
attendees, so that forensic scientists’ around the world can stay up to date on the techniques. The
daily tasks depend on the amount of evidence that needs to be processed, or if there is a crime
scene that needs to be attended to. Typically, the forensic technician would write up the reports
for the tests on substances, prepare substances for testing, travel to the crime scene and follow
the necessary protocol according to the specific scene, and interpret scientific findings from tests
done on unknown substances.

Work Schedule:

I learned that the work schedule is not as I had originally thought (based on my forensic TV
show knowledge). I previously thought that forensic scientists could be called in to work a crime
scene in the middle of the night, which is not correct. Mr. Itami informed me that there are
various work schedules depending on the department that you work for, and that you don’t ever
get called in on your day off or in the middle of the night, unless there is a mass-homicide or
large-scale freak accident, which would require every technician available for the processing of
evidence. He stated that the pace of the work is not the same as TV shows like CSI portray it to
be, and continued by stating that testing evidence can sometimes take a minimum of several
months to complete. Mr. Itami stated that the longest amount of time he had ever spent working
a crime scene was for 11 hours, (when a plane crashed, and evidence (as well passengers) were
thrown out of the plane on its descent. He mentioned that this is the type of freak accident that
required every forensic technician available to process the scene, because it had scattered
evidence and unfortunately passengers’ body parts all over the place).

Education Required:

The minimum education required for this field is a bachelor’s degree, but it would be beneficial
to attain a master’s degree. Not only would your salary increase, but it is also greatly encouraged
by most departments. It is very important to stay up to date on the changing techniques, and you
need to have common sense. Mr. Itami stated that you need to pay close attention to detail while
in this career, and you need to focus on precision. If any forensic technician is not completely
focused while working, evidence can be overlooked, contaminated, or ruined. You are able to
obtain a job in forensic science with a bachelor’s degree in another area (for example, art
degree), because the hiring departments are only checking to see that you have completed a
bachelor’s degree from an accredited college. With that being said, this employment field is
extremely competitive, and it might not be the wisest decision to graduate with an unrelated
degree if you want to work as a forensic scientist. He suggested to major in Forensic Science,
Biology, Chemistry, or Criminal Justice.

Interview Analysis:

Completing this interview allowed me to further my understanding of the Forensic Science

career. I was always aware that working in forensics required a lot of training and precision, but I
never really thought about the specifics of the job in depth. Forensic Technicians require a lot of
patience, and you have to effectively handle your emotions when at a crime scene, to ensure that
the documentation of the crime scene is accurate, and nothing is overlooked. Bringing justice and
closure to the people affected by the crimes is incredibly important, and handling the evidence at
the crimes scene is the first step. This interview absolutely solidified my decision to become a
Forensic Scientist.

I also learned a lot about interviewing people from this project. I had never conducted a formal
interview prior to this. After the interview, I was able to put all of what goes into the interview
process into perspective. I enjoyed creating the interview plan, and I feel that this helped me the
most with the interview itself. I was able to make sure that the questions flowed, and that I was
asking good questions (not questions that I thought of on the spot). If I had another opportunity
to conduct this interview, I would condense the amount of questions, and would time myself
when practicing asking the questions, to make sure that I stay within the time frame of the
interview.