The CSI-Crime Scene Investigations And The CSI Effect

Morgan Troupe

Mrs. Braswell

Chapter 10: Investigations

Investigations are an important part of the world of policing because not only do investigations help close cases, they also help to ensure that the right people are behind bars. There can also be many different types of investigations but usually the main ones you see are crime scene investigations and criminal investigations. Crime scene investigations are where a specialist walks through a crime scene and determines what could be used as evidence, whereas a criminal investigation is where detectives follow, ask questions, and learn the crimes being done by the criminal. Detectives also sometimes do things like sting operations, decoy operations, or stakeout operations.

My article actually studied this effect through experiments. The CSI Effect is where people watch a TV show that gives them false expectations about investigations. To put it in better context, say a person watches the show “Criminal Minds” where the criminal is caught and the entire case is solved in a very short time therefore giving them the idea that this is actually how quickly a real case can be cracked. In reality, a case can take a very long amount of time to solve so when a person has to wait for longer periods of time they get very impatient. This is one of the way that investigation can impact our community. Let’s not forget that the CSI Effect and the CSI education effect are two different things. The CSI education effect is known as the concern that when criminals or potential criminals watch these shows they learn how to get away with crimes. My article says that they “...asked convicted criminals about the usefulness of covering up a crime…” and they also asked fans of crime shows if they thought the show could help them get away with a crime. Their ultimate experiment was taking subjects to a mock crime scene and giving them the task of trying to clean it up based on their knowledge from the show. After all of this

According to my book, some people believe that when detectives do things like sting operations or decoy operations that they are enticing people into committing a crime, or engaging in entrapment. A sting operation is basically when a detective or an officer pretends to be a criminal in plainclothes and gives others the opportunity to commit a crime. As an example, say officer Smith goes in a sting operation and gives Mr.Andrews (a known drug dealer) the opportunity to sell him marijuana, if Mr. Andrews takes that offer because he thinks officer Smith is a normal person, he will be arrested. One of the main purposes of these operations is to help create a sense of omnipresence, meaning that people will feel like there is always a possibility of getting caught if they are committing a crime because there could always be an officer present somewhere. Officers also use these methods as a deterrence mechanism so that criminals with the probability of getting caught by undercover officers will be less likely to continue their work. These tactics are incredible for helping catch criminals red handed but when does a simple sting investigation turn into entrapment? According to the article by Bruce Hay, “The theory behind using a sting for informational purposes is that it operates as a test.”, meaning that if a person is willing to commit the pretend crime then they are also likely to commit a real