CSI Effect

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Imagine this: a body is found decomposing in an abandoned house miles away from the nearest town. A forensics team rushes in and collects samples from every single square inch of the house to try find a clue as to who committed this atrocity. From the wounds on the body, it is clear to see that the victim was stabbed repeatedly although there are no traces of blood left. It appears the murderer mopped the entire floor down with bleach and did a thorough job of cleaning inside. In a desperate attempt, the forensics team searches outside, and find a perfect shoe print in the mud. A few feet away is a tiny smear of blood on a wooden post. Filled with new hope of solving the crime, the forensics team goes through the house one last time and finds a partial fingerprint on a window.
The evidence is collected and properly stored, so the forensics team sends it to the laboratory to be studied and wait. A few hours later, the results are in and point to one definite match among the list of suspects. The blood sample was a match with the person identified by the fingerprint. The correct suspect is brought in for questioning and within a matter of “days”, is found guilty and sentenced. Justice is finally served and everyone lives happily ever after, all within the span of half an hour. Sound realistic? Not quite. Enter CSI.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a popular television show centered around crimes and forensic science. Its use of “realistic” crime scenarios and evidence combined with melodrama and relatable protagonists have made it an audience favorite, demonstrated by its success throughout the years since first premiering in 2000. With over 10 million viewers worldwide on average each night, CSI has been named the most watched T...

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...ime required to process forensic evidence is also impacted by the CSI effect. CSI and similar shows provide unrealistic examples regarding the speed with which forensic results are obtained. In shows, entire cases are solved within the timeframe of a few days, with evidence being analyzed within hours of collection. In reality, the collection and processing of evidence is often backed up for long periods of time. The average time it takes for results from a forensic laboratory to be released in the United States is 127.2 days. Tests of utmost urgency usually take one or two weeks, at the earliest and the waiting time increases in larger cities, where backlog is greater. CSI and similar shows do not depict an accurate time frame as they condense this time period to fit a slot of an hour, and so viewers tend to expect things to be done sooner than what is realistic.

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