Forget ‘glamour’ of CSI, this is real forensics

A large, heavy door swings shut. A sign labelled ‘Scene of Crime Unit’ hangs above the pristine room, which is lined with black and white photographs depicting figures clad in white overalls carefully performing swabs or poring over evidence. “Forget the glamour and high heels of CSI,” Sergeant Arthur Debattista grins, referring to American television series Crime Scene Investigation. “We’re normally caked in dirt after a day’s work.” The forensics department within the Malta Police Force comprises 40 people. Twenty are scene-of-crime officers who work gruelling 12-hour shifts on a day-night-rest-day-off rotation. “In particular cases, the officers would work beyond their 12-hour shifts – it’s not the first time they’ve clocked in 24 hours,” head of forensics, Inspector Ramon Cassar, explains. “The same team of crime scene officers work on a particular case in order to ensure continuity.” A scene of crime officer (SOCO) may perform the dual, but not simultaneous, roles of court-appointed expert and police investigator. In both, the SOCO is bound to preserve the crime scene, recover and compile evidence and report his findings. In the case he is appointed as a court expert, his...