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Show Criminalistics: The WSC Crime Laboratory doubles as experimental lab for students—and the real thing for 2,800 cases annually Another of our classes requires students to do a survey~go into a business and look for defects in physical security,” Paskins said. "We also teach them criminal techniques. About half the work in the WSC lab is related to drugs Not so they'll be criminals, but so Criminalist Kathleen Ledford examines police evidence in the WSC Crime Laboratory. Upwards of 2,800 cases are processed in the lab each year, which include not only actual evidence examination, but also court testimony on the findings. WSC. About half of the evidence is they will understand how many criminals operate." Employee theft accounts for about 70 percent of losses in a business. “A lot of businesses go bankrupt drug related; with murder, rape, ar son, robbery and theft taking up the other half. 7 “We have a tremendous variety,” Gaskill said. “We do a lot of blood” analysis, and work with paint, hair because of theft by their own Three full-time criminalists, plus Commissioner of Police Security for the state of Utah. Scout troops and elementary school classes are frequent visitors to the Crime Lab. Last year over fifty groups were tutored through the lab, averaging about one each week. Law enforcement training does not end with the methods of crime prevention and security. “More and more we see the need to teach com- the director, whose assignment is divided between the Crime Lab and the classroom, and two student aides working part time comprise the lab team. They not only examine evidence but also appear in court to give testimony regarding their findings. "If an officer can't prove something, he loses in court," said criminalist Arthur Terkelson. “If we show up to testify on our find- munity rR oe hae ad e pares nd olagleemee Sa O ha spend a-certain amount of time-in--—- Paskins, who heads up the off-campus classes. ings the defendants plead guilty, if we don't show up they plead something else. More cases are settled in the halls than in the courtroom,” he added. All law enforcement students relations,” said Kent employees,” Paskins said. and fibers. But by far the most com police, and most important— WSC students evidence for city and county police, for state and federal agencies, and even the FBI and Secret Service. But one of the most important services they perform is to students in law must ___ for police officers __ the lab because, as Gaskill said, “Every police officer must be able to understand the laboratory techniques in order to properly collect and preserve physical evidence." The WSC Crime Lab has been functioning since 1971-72, when it was started by Larry Lennon, who “We teach officers in the field how to deal with the media and other publics. The police are always in the public eye, and it can be very detrimental to all of law enforcement when just one officer does not was a faculty member, but is now Paskins added. have good public relations skills," related fields In each of the past four years lab and not just have the ivory tower approach to learning,” said ~---James Gaskill, lab-director. —--Until two years ago the WSC Crime Lab serviced the entire state of Utah and Western Wyoming. enforcement and corrections person: Since the completion of the Utah Police Academy, most criminal evidence collected south of Salt Lake City is processed in that lab. Upwards of 3,000 pieces of evidence are processed every year nel,” Howard said. And we, at Weber State, are happy to have a part in educating the students on campus as well as in the continuing students to be able to work in a real educational process in law enforcement in the state of Utah. YESS THE WNC ALUMNI AND CONTINUING ERUCATION ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE OOR © ANT ANNUA L. NAN FRANCISCO ART TOOR. NOYeMmen L4-29 ,1I9ABD Five NiGHTS AND AIX DAYS TTANEL OPTION ARE AVAILABLE ; * ECONOMY- BUS TRAVEL “RAN FRANCINAN Hote - 3299. TWO € - AIM TRAVEL: NT. FRANCIS Mote: 5499.00 INCLUDES « : NAPORTATION - SNIGHTS HOTEL: VATICAN EXHIBIT - CITY TOOR -ART MUSEUMS - ART INSTRUCTOR GUIDE - Mone GROUF_RATES FOR THEATRE WILL Be Ava LABLE AT OPTIONAL PRICE AT &2l-b600 FoR, INFORMATIO Fs) eral TROTIVER | there have been over fifty students” 2h FRANCISCO VATICAN ART TOUR JUDY . graduating with bachelor degrees in law enforcement from WSC, and Dr. Howard says these students are” finding jobs in their field. “The expanding population, con‘tinued economic growth, and in—— creased highway traffic are creating the need for more well trained law ‘It's really an advantage to the area Expanding population — provides more jobs in law— WSC's crime lab processes enforcement. Public relations skills mon is drug analysis— magic mushrooms, marijuana and cocaine.” The lab serves FBI, state WSC students, Craig Baker (left) and Dan Hohneker learn to calibrate bullets as part of their training in the Crime Laboratory. — A bullet recovery tank is also housed in the facility to determine — the gun “evidence” bullets were fired from. |