How Is Forensic Science Used to Solve Crimes?
Evidence One of the most important factors in determining the cause of a crime is the evidence left behind at the scene. Perhaps a quote from well-known criminologist Edmond Locard best describes the forensic approach to gathering evidence. His motto of “Every contact leaves a trace” suggests that all criminals leave behind some clue and take with them some evidence that links them to the crime. Forensic scientists scour the crime scene, procure evidence of the crime, and conduct analyses on these items to deduce the truth. These traces can be bloodstains, footprints or threads from clothing. Forensic scientists have the difficult job of analyzing this trace evidence and finding links to potential suspects. Just retrieving trace evidence from a crime scene takes a tremendous amount of skill. Forensic scientists often join crime scene investigators, and together they collect evidence with tape lifters, forensic vacuums and infrared detection light. Once the crime scene evidence is gathe
