edited by ELLEN and JAY BARDOLE VinCenneS University Vincennes, Indiana 47591
Chemistry for Students in the Criminal Justice Program J. Tobin Chief Chemist Maryland StatePolice Crime Laboratory Pikesoille, 21208 Criminal justice programs throughout the community colleee svstem almost universallv establish in the curriculum of t&ir students a certain nun;ber of science credits to he completed. They next turn to the college's science department to seek advice on what science course would best satisfy the needs of the criminal iustice student. The response of manv as the science has been to include chemistry, hiology or requirement. From a practical standpoint, nune of the classical sciences of chemistry, hiologyor physics will fulfill the needs of the criminal justin: student. Is thcrc then a scienct!coursr that can satisfv the needs of this tvoe of student? The science-course that wouldi;e most beneficial to the criminal iustice Droeram would he one that deals with crime detection.. This course would complement the course of study presented in the criminal iustice . promam. Such a course does .. ;xiit. It is called Rmnsic ~cience.Forensic science in its most simplified definition is the application of the physical and biological sciences to law. Forensic science offers to the criminal justice student the knowledge and technology of science to the solution of crime. In spite of the fact that forensic science is still cloaked in the enigma of a science course, it is one that the criminal justice student can apply to his field. Forensic science can he heloful t o the criminal iustice student in four ways. First, it wilidemonstrateto the student the value of phvsical evidence as it pertains to the detection and solution bf crime. This is accom&hed by making the student aware of the following 1) What is physical evidence? 2)
How to collect and preserve physical evidence.
crime lab. If the type of evidence that is hrought into the lab is garhage and i t was made to he garhage through improper collection and preservation techniques, then the crime lab personnel cannot perform an occult act of magic and filter out fhrsr improprr p k e d u r e s and give to the investigator what should have heen found as a result of proper cdlwtion and preservatiun of evidence. All that can hc performed is an ~nalyiisof that which was presented. To the investigator who suhniitted the evidence, his immedintr rrsponie to the lah's report un such evidvncr might he. " ( h t ~ a g e . "Through proper trainineofcrimin~liustice oersonnel. hetter aualits evidenrr will hesubmitted ti the crime lab and from this t i e forensic chemist will have a more likely chance of discovering the real story that the evidence has to tell. Finallv. " . because forensic science ehcomoasses a multitude of scientific facts collected from various s(!imtific disciplines, the criminal iustice student will acauire a definite decree . of science education, a general science education, hut a science education nonetheless. This will he accomplished through the design of the course. The program itself should he designed to give the student a broad view of the affiliated areas constituting forensic science. The topic areas that would he most beneficial are as follows 1) Introduction. This lecture is designed to acquaint the student with a panorama of the capabilities of forensic science. It should demonstrate how forensic science works for the criminal
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3) How the forensic chemist obtains from the evidence the information it contains. 4) How this scientific data can he interpreted for the solution of a crime.
Secondlv. forensic science will coordinate the student's views of I& and criminal investigation. Far too often, too much emphasis is given to people (suspects) in the solution of a crime. And why not? People are the only ones who commit crimes. But thev most often do so throueh the use of thines or by causing thk mutual exchange of things brought by them with their environment. It's the "things" element that forensic science brings into criminal investigation. It helps estahlish a balanced approach to the field of crime investigation. Thirdly, a forensic science course will establish a mutual assistance proaram between investigators and crime lab persmnrl. hitr re's m old cliche in computer programming fhat goes. "Garhage in, garbage out." The same holds true in the 724 / Journal of Chemical Education
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justice program and that through mutual assistance, they will complement each other. Drum and Toxicoloev. , . Lectures are desimed to eive a cursorv rxplanntmn Into the pharmamlon of drugs as well ar an u n derstnndml: of the te*ting pnwdun.i that are utili,ed to identify them. Alcohol. Although this substance can be included as a drug, it is too broad in scope and must be treated individually. Insight is given into the scientific principles that govern the various methods of testing as we0 as the pharma&dynamic principles of this drug in the body. Arson. How does a fire burn? What's left? How is this tweof .. cvidencr hrsr collected and pre.i~rved'!HOWis This evidence handled m the lnl," These are hut some of the qu4on.i a n swered in arson investigation as well as a discussion of analytical techniques. Explosives. Students receive an elementary chemistry course into the composition, properties and identification of explosive materials, how various bombs and incendiaries are mnstruded and what is most likely to be found after an explosion. Forensic Seroloev. This area teaches the student a workine
and preservation as well as the analytical chemistry involved in blood identification and typing. 7) Mineralogy. Studies the forensic value of soil as an evidentiary Presented at the 2YCs Conference at Essea Community College, April 7, 1918.
medium. Too, this means the student is introduced to basic g e d q v and wil analpii irmcedurt;. X I Hotr nnd I'thwi Sttldrnrz he
