Requirements for the Certification of Crime Scene Reconstruction

THE IAI CRIME SCENE CERTIFICATION BOARD IS NOW OFFERING CERTIFICATION IN THE FIELD OF CRIME SCENE RECONSTRUCTION

REQUIREMENTS FOR IAI CRIME SCENE RECONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATION
1. General Qualifications
  
  An applicant for certification must be of good moral character, high integrity, and good repute and must possess high ethical professional standing.
2. Certified Crime Scene Reconstructionist (CCSR)
  
  Applicant must:
  1. Have a minimum of five (5) years experience as a crime scene investigator involved in crime scene reconstruction.
  2. Have completed a minimum of 120 hours of Crime Scene Certification Board approved instruction in crime scene and crime scene reconstruction related courses within the last five (5) years. NOTE: The CSCB will waive the five (5) year requirement for the Bloodstain and Shooting Incident Reconstruction courses if your application is received prior to December 31, 2010.
    
    This training MUST include the following courses:
    1. A Bloodstain Pattern Interpretation course that is a minimum of 40 hours in length.
    2. Shooting Incident Reconstruction courses that total 40 hours
      
      Additional elective courses must total a minimum of 40 hours. The topics that qualify in the area of crime scene approved training are:
      
      Alternate Light Source Training
      Arson Investigations*
      Blood Pattern Analysis*
      Clandestine Lab Training
      Collection & Preservation of Evidence*
      Courtroom Testimony*
      Crime Scene Documentation*
      Crime Scene Investigations*
      Crime Scene Photography and Evidence
      Photography*
      Crime Scene Reconstruction*
      Death Investigations*
      Footwear and Tire Tread
      Forensic Anthropology
      Forensic Archeology
      Forensic Odontology
      Latent Print Detection/Comparison*
      Post Blast Investigations
      Report Writing
      Rules of Evidence
      Sex Crime Investigations*
      Traffic Accident Investigations*
      Underwater/Subsurface search and recovery
      Wound Dynamics*
      
      *Recommended for reconstruction training
      
      The Crime Scene Certification Board, on request, will consider other topics.
  3. AND one of the following;
    1. Must have authored or coauthored an article on some phase of crime scene reconstruction published in a professional journal OR;
    2. Made a presentation on some phase of crime scene reconstruction to a professional organization, OR;
    3. Be an active instructor in some phase of crime scene reconstruction who is currently teaching at least once a year, OR;
    4. Submit a court transcript from an actual crime scene reconstruction case in which the applicant gave testimony on the reconstruction.
3. Initial In-house Training:
  
  Upon approval by the Crime Scene Certification Board, an agency's structured and specialized training program hours may be reciprocated for portions of the amount of required hours of instruction for the certification.
4. Testing:
  
  In addition to the listed requirements the applicant must successfully pass a written test with a minimum score of 75%. All written tests are graded and recorded on a pass/fail basis only. (Numerical scores will not be provided)
  
  The tests will be created from the following publications and may not be changed for a period of three years. The tests may be updated to reflect newer technology that may be addressed in newer editions of the same text.
  
  The applicant is responsible for the entire text.
  
  These texts supersede any practice or agency directives for certification testing purposes.
TEST MATERIAL PUBLICATIONS

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis: With an Introduction to Crime Scene Reconstruction, 3rd Edition by Tom Bevel, Ross M. Gardner, CRC Press 2008

Cold Case Homicides: Practical Investigative Techniques, Richard H. Walton, CRC Press, 2006

Shooting Incident Reconstruction: By Lucien C. Haag - Elsevier Academic Press (2006)
CRIME SCENE RECONSTRUCTION TESTING METHODOLOGIES
1. Comprehensive test
  1. Comprised of multiple choice questions
  2. The questions may contain scenarios based on the text books
  3. 300 questions with a time limit of 4 ½ hours
2. Practical Questions
  1. Once the applicant passes the comprehensive test, the applicant will be sent a practical exam that must be competed and returned to the CSCB within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the package.
  2. Applicant must complete 15 practical questions without error
3. Failures
  1. If the applicant fails the comprehensive portion of the test the applicant will not be able to take the practicals and will have to reapply. The applicant may reapply immediately by submitting a new application and the appropriate fees.
  2. If the applicant passes the comprehensive test and fails the practicals the applicant will be retested on the practicals without incurring additional fees.
  3. If the applicant fails either portion of the certification test for a second time, the applicant must wait 12 months from the date of the failure to reapply.
4. Crime Scene Certification shall be issued for a period of five (5) years.
5. Applicant procedures for certification are subject to revision by the Crime Scene Certification Board (CSCB). The latest official version is always available from the CSCB Secretary.
RECERTIFICATION TESTING METHODOLOGIES
1. Applicants must meet the recertification requirements as of the date of the recertification application.
2. Reconstruction recertification testing will be a “Complete Case Analysis” with a reconstruction opinion report submitted.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES

NOTE: Due to changes that occurred on March 1, 2010, with the approval of our FSAB accreditation, the new RECONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATION comprehensive test is undergoing a new validation process. Applications are being accepted for the RECONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATION test but your testing date will be delayed until the CSCB finishes the process. Thank you for your patience.

Application forms are located here or may be obtained from:

International Association for Identification
2535 Pilot Knob Road, Suite 117
Mendota Heights, MN 55120-1120

Application procedures for certification are subject to revision by the Crime Scene Certification Board (CSCB). The latest official version is always available from the CSCB Secretary.

For additional information contact Curtis M. Shane, Secretary, IAI Crime Scene Certification Board