Expert: Dick Rogers - 2/3/2009

Question
Hello,  

Thank you for taking the time to read this email and respond to it, I greatly appreciate it! Anyway I wanted to ask you some questions about being a homicide detective. I was wondering when you are a homicide detective do you do the same jobs as the guys on CSI? I wonder this because that is not what I want to do. I don’t want to sit in a room looking at hair, I want to put together all the clues and find the guy/girl that did the crime. Also is there any training I should get so after my 6-10 years as an officer of the law, I will have a better chance of being accepted as a homicide detective. Also how long are the hours and did you get to see your family as much as you wanted? And for my last question, does the job ever stop or are you on call 24/7? Thank you so much! :)

With love,

Erin :)


Answer
Well, Erin, you have identified the true homicide detective in your question and in what it is you really want to do.  Look as the homicide detective as the orchestra leader.  Under his/her direction, the other members of the orchestra (team) do their work.  You are the person hovering over the body, checking out the scene, mapping out the strategy.  It is you who determines who is to respond to the scene..latent prints. photographer, serologist, forensic anthropologist, etc.  Before you attempt to get assigned to the homicide unit you should have a significant background in detective work such as major crimes, robbery, sex crimes, fraud, etc. and do so magnificent work that your reputation is well known.  Then you would be an asset to the homicide unit.  By the way, you should seek employment with a large department when the opportunities are greater.  The hours are long...sometimes days at a time away from home...sometimes you are required to go other countries, Japan, Europe or south American countries to investigate you cases.  As for the on call question, squads within a homicide unit are either on call or not on call...there is space for kicking back, but not for long.  Good luck to you Erin and as you say,  with love,