Criminalistics Lab and Police Science Education Unique The orange chips of paint under che comparison microscope in the Weber State College criminalistics aboratory were taken from a car which had Been bashed into by another one. One flake of paint was taken from the fender of the damaged car and the other two small particles from a suspect car. On another table lay two red tail light fragments found at the scene and a piece of broken light taken from the suspect car. The pieces matched together. : This evidence might eyen con- vince the suspect that it would be in his best interest to plead guilty and save the taxpayers the expense of a trial. Analyzing evidence is an every day occurrence at the criminalistics laboratory. The laboratory is in conjunction with the Police Science education program. WSC has been given the role of higher education in police science. The combination of the lab and higher education is unique and there are very few such combinations. Approximately 400 day- students are enrolled and there are about 400 in off-campus programs throughout the state. “The impact of education on law enforcement in the past ten years has been impressive,” said Dr. Glen Howard, chairman of the department of police science. “In 1970, as an example, the Salt Lake Police department had only seven men with bachelor degrees and two with associate degrees in police science. Within five years one-third of the force has been or is now enrolled in courses. Two have master degrees, 30 have bachelor degrees and 60 have associate degrees. Chief LaMar Chard of the Layton Police Department returned to college after he was chief and obtained the highest grade point average and was the 1975 outpolice department ' standing student. James Gaskill, director of the criminalistics lab, opened case No. 900 for this year, a small brownpapered package sent in from the police department in Vernal. The lab does analysis of evidence for all criminal justice agencies in Utah. Each assignment case is given a number and forms and receipts are filled out. “One of the most important things in processing evidence is the analysis JAMES GASKILL, director of criminalistics lab, demonstrates of evidence on a comparison microscope to Delane Esplin, laboratory field experience student. continuity so that we can identify it Gaskill, Mr. said in court,’’ is of no evidence ‘‘Otherwise value.”’ Evidence is also processed for many other places such as the Fish and Game and the U.S. Forest Service. ‘‘A few weeks ago we had a moose here,’’ said Mr. Gaskill, ‘‘We were comparing a bullet removed from the moose with that of a suspect’s gun.”’ The lab has the only bullet recovery tank in the state. Guns; ‘Evena moose has been brought to the lab’ can be fired into the water-filled 12foot deep tank and the bullets then compared with bullets taken from the scene of a crime. The lab, funded by a grant for approximately $10,000 from _ the Utah Law Enforcement Planning Agency, has very sophisticated equipment and examines evidence. Types of evidence examined include . examinations, iden_ tification, comparison andinterpretation of all types of physical evidence, except fingerprints, questioned documents and body fluids suspected of containing ~ toxin. Typing and species identification of blood, semen, saliva, hairs and other physiological classification and specimens, comparison of hairs, fibers, paints and glass. | Examinations are also conducted on incandescend lamp filaments, firearms, gunshot wounds and patterns for distance determination. The lab can compare tool marks and bullets to determine a common origin, identify narcotics and dangerous drugs before ingestion, and restore obliterated serial numbers. ¥ Lab personnel give testimony in court concerning the examinations and render assistance KENT GLANVILLE, crime lab chemist, left, records narcotics evidence case assistant criminalist, center, and James Gaskill, director, make identification. while Arthur Terkelson, in field in- vestigations of major criminal cases where special help is required in collection of physical evidence. These services are free. One crime spree that the lab helped to stop by identifying evidence was one in which serial numbers on cars were changed. The group purchased old cars from junkyards and procured the title and serial numbers. Then they stole cars of the same make and changed the serial numbers to match that of (Continued on Page?) |