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Requirements for IAI Crime Scene Certification

REQUIREMENTS FOR IAI CRIME SCENE 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. Certification

    Applicants may apply for any certification where the applicant meets the requirements as listed below. It should be noted that for initial certification, hours will be used to calculate the figures, and credits used to calculate the recertification figures.

    1. Certified Crime Scene Investigator

      1. Must have a minimum of one (1) year in crime scene related activities.

      2. Must have completed a minimum of 48 hours of Crime Scene Certification Board approved instruction in crime scene related courses within the last five (5) years.
    2. Certified Crime Scene Analyst
      1. Must have a minimum of three (3) years in crime scene related activities.

      2. Must have completed a minimum of 96 hours of Crime Scene Certification Board approved instruction in crime scene related courses within the last five (5) years.

    3. Certified Crime Scene Reconstructionist

    4. Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst

      1. Must have a minimum of six (6) years in crime scene related activities.

      2. Must have completed a minimum of 144 hours of Crime Scene Certification Board approved instruction in crime scene related courses within the last five (5) years. AND one of the following:

        1. Must have authored or coauthored an article on some phase of crime scene investigation published in a professional journal OR;

        2. Made a presentation on some phase of crime scene investigation to a professional organization, OR;

        3. Be an active instructor in some phase of crime scene investigation who is currently teaching at least once a year, OR;

        4. Submit a court transcript from an actual case in which the applicant gave testimony on some phase of crime scene investigation.

  3. Initial In-house Training:

    Upon approval by the Crime Scene Certification Board, an agency's structured training program hours may be reciprocated for portions of or for the amount of required hours of instruction for the appropriate crime scene certification.

  4. Continuing Education/Professional Development Hours:

    The topics that qualify in the area of crime scene approved training are as listed below. The Crime Scene Certification Board, on request, will consider other topics:

    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
    Crime Scene Reconstruction
    Death Investigations
    Evidence Photography
    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

  5. Testing

    In addition to the listed requirements for each level 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 are not provided)

    1. The tests will be taken from publications selected by the Crime Scene Certification Board. The titles will be published and the Board may not change them for a minimum of three (3) years.

    2. These texts supersede any practice or agency directives for certification testing purposes.

    3. Questions and time

      1. CCSI: 200 questions with a time limit of 3 hours

      2. CCSA: 300 questions with a time limit of 4 hours

      3. CSCSA: 400 questions with a time limit of 5 hours

  1. TEST MATERIAL PUBLICATIONS (August 1, 2008)
    1. Certified Crime Scene Investigator (CCSI)

      Crime Scene Photography by Edward Robinson, 2007, Elsevier Science & Technology Books (Available at: Elsevier.com, Evident Crime Scene Products, Lynn Peavey Company, Amazon.com, LexisNexis.com, Overstock.com (May not have the book all the time))

      Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation by Ross M. Gardner, 2005, CRC Press (Available at: CRC Press, Lynn Peavey Company, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Books-A-Million)

    2. Certified Crime Scene Analyst (CCSA)

      Crime Scene Photography by Edward Robinson, 2007, Elsevier Science & Technology Books (Available at: Elsevier.com, Evident Crime Scene Products, Lynn Peavey Company, Amazon.com, LexisNexis.com, Overstock.com (May not have the book all the time))

      Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation by Ross M. Gardner, 2005, CRC Press (Available at: CRC Press, Lynn Peavey Company, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Books-A-Million)

      Crime Scene Investigation by Fish, Miller and Braswell, 2007, Anderson Publishing (LexisNexis Bookstore) (Available at: LexisNexis, Lynn Peavey Company, Barnes&Noble.com)

    3. Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst (CSCSA)

      Crime Scene Photography by Edward Robinson, 2007, Elsevier Science & Technology Books (Available at: Elsevier.com, Evident Crime Scene Products, Lynn Peavey Company, Amazon.com, LexisNexis.com, Overstock.com (May not have the book all the time))

      Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation by Ross M. Gardner, 2005, CRC Press (Available at: CRC Press, Lynn Peavey Company, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Books-A-Million)

      Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science (9th Edition) by Richard Saferstein, 2007, Prentice Hall (Available at: PrenticeHall.com, Lynn Peavey Company, Amazon.com)

    *Please Note: This selection of vendors is only a small representation of the many companies that have the textbooks. Should one of the IAI sponsors wish to have their web site address added, contact the Secretary of the CSCB.


  2. APPLICATION PROCEDURES

    1. Application forms may be obtained from:

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

    2. All applicants for certification must submit two (2) letters of endorsement. If the applicant is employed by a public law enforcement agency, one letter shall be from a superior within the applicant’s department or agency and one shall be from an associate in the field of crime scene investigations and who is a member of either a state or regional division and/or the parent body.

    3. The completed application, with supporting documentation to include two (2) recent photographs, one additional copy of all submitted paperwork application, and the application fee of $150.00 (Not Refundable) shall be forwarded to the:

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

    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.

  3. GENERAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING CERTIFICATION

    1. The right to deny certification is reserved.

      Applicants who are denied certification by the CSCB may appeal such action in writing within sixty (60) days after the issue date of such notification.

    2. Certificates granted and issued may be suspended or revoked by the CSCB for any of the following reasons:

      1. A conviction of an applicant for certification, or holder of a certificate, by a court of competent jurisdiction of a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude.

      2. A misstatement, misrepresentation, concealment, or omission of a material fact or facts in an application or any other communication related to certification.

      3. Issuance of a certificate contrary to or in violation of any of the laws, standards, rules or regulations of the IAI, or determination that the person certified was not in fact eligible to receive such certificate at the time of issuance.

      4. Any violation of the IAI Code of Ethics.

    3. Action to suspend or revoke may only be taken after at least thirty (30) days advance notice of the charges or reasons for such action has been given to the individual concerned and an opportunity for such person to be heard has been provided by the CSCB.

    4. Persons holding a valid certificate of qualifications issued by the CSCB are entitled to use the appropriate designations in conformance with the standards of the International Association for Identification.

    5. Certificates issued by the International Association for Identification are non-transferable. They remain the property of the IAI, but every person to whom a certificate has been issued shall be entitled to its continued possession, unless and until such certificate is revoked.

    6. Membership in the IAI or any of its state or regional divisions is not mandatory for certification, however, the candidate for certification must agree to abide by the provisions of the certification program as written and passed by the IAI.

  4. CRIME SCENE CERTIFICATION BOARD

    Domingo Villarreal, Chairman
    Humble Police Dept
    310 Bender Ave
    Humble, TX 77338-4326
    Work Phone: (281) 319-9797
    Fax: (281) 446-3960

    Curtis M. Shane, Secretary
    DHS-FLETC-TOD
    1131 Chapel Crossing Road
    Glynco, Georgia 31524
    Phone: (912) 267-2355

    Dennis G. Honeycutt
    P.O. Box 4238
    Greenville, NC 27836-2238
    Work Phone: (252) 737-2223
    Fax: (252) 321-5844

    David De Haan
    Elemental Forensics
    2671 Wyandotte Dr.
    Grand Rapids, MI  49525
    Work Phone: (616) 307-3509

    Gregory A. Parkinson
    7022 Venetian Way
    West Palm Beach, FL 33406-6827
    (561) 227-6380

    Steve Nash