Forensics

What exactly is Forensics?

Commonly many people associate forensics with the medical profession, although there are many areas/disciplines of forensics. A common definition of forensic science is the application of the physical sciences and their technology to examining physical evidence of crime.

How do I get a forensic officer to come to my home or business to conduct a forensic investigation?

Our forensic personnel are available to respond only to the request of law enforcement agencies in Greenville County. A person must first file a police report/complaint and the investigating law enforcement agency will have one of their officers evaluate the crime scene/circumstances and determine if forensic services are needed.

Can the Greenville County Forensic Division to do examinations of evidence for private individuals without making a law enforcement complaint/report?

Our agency is set up to examine evidence only for law enforcement agencies. Many problems could potentially arise regarding the integrity of evidence not collected by trained personnel. An issue could also arise if an individual were caught by a law enforcement officer in possession and/or transporting possible illicit substances/items. If suspected illicit substances/items are found, we advise that you notify your local law enforcement agency and let them take possession of the substance/item. Many private laboratories, even some locally, are available to individuals or businesses to handle their forensic examinations.

If my home, business, or vehicle is burglarized, what should I do?

You should promptly notify the proper law enforcement agency from a safe location. Do not attempt to collect any evidence; our chance of successfully identifying the suspect(s) is greatly hindered when the scene and evidence is contaminated. As tempting as it may be, do not clean up after discovering broken glass, etc.

What is the response time for the Crime Scene Section?

We handle calls for services on a first come, first serve basis. Since we cover requests for service in the largest county in South Carolina (789 square miles), driving time alone from one call to another could sometimes take over an hour. This depends on traffic and other factors. In the event of more serious calls involving deaths or serious injury, we must prioritize our calls and respond to the ones with the most serious needs first. We realize that when you are the victim of a crime our timely response is critical to you. We will make every attempt to respond to your needs as soon as possible. If you feel that you can not wait for the forensic officer to arrive, please advise the investigating officer so other arrangements can be made.

I have been the victim of a crime. In trying to get fingerprints, the crime scene technician used a very messy powder and put it on various items or areas of my home or car, how can I clean up this mess?

The forensic officer should make every effort possible to minimize the mess they made with the fingerprint powder. In the event that there is fingerprint powder to clean up, please follow the following steps:

Areas and items should be vacuumed before any type wet process is used. Use caution in not letting the vacuum brush drag through the powder as this may create a larger mess and grind the powder into the surface making it harder to clean.
Typical household cleaners will generally clean up the powder on clean non-porous surfaces.
If the powder is on cloth surfaces, it is best to wash the item with detergent.
Sometimes professional cleaning services have experience with this type situation and could be used.