Missouri Southern's New Mobile Crime Scene Investigation Unit

JOPLIN , MO (SNS) – Criminal Justice students at Missouri Southern State University can now study crime scene investigations in a new Mobile Crime Scene Investigation Unit with everything including the kitchen sink.

Dedication ceremonies for MSSU’s new Mobile Crime Scene Investigation Unit took place Friday, March 17 in the circle drive outside Billingsly Student Center at MSSU.

Members of the Missouri Southern Board of Governors, the Dean of Technology, officials from the Criminal Justice Department and representatives from local Law Enforcement Agencies and guests took part.

Dr. Tia Strait, Dean of the School of Technology at Missouri Southern, said the $101,789 van was purchased with State Matching Grant funding.

“This is just another way for Missouri Southern to provide hands-on experience to our students,” MSSU President Dr. Julio León said at the Dedication Ceremony. “This teaching tool will be a wonderful addition to Missouri Southern State University,” he commented.

Gregory Dagnan, assistant professor of Criminal Justice, said the ambulance-style van’s primary focus will be student learning.

Dagnan says the blue and white truck will be used for Crime Scene I and Crime Scene II classes and for the Crime Scene Certification Course, which offers continuing education for current law enforcement officers.

“This will be a great asset in making mock crime scenes as realistic as possible and teaching students to use all the current state of the art technology in the truck,” Dr. Strait commented. "It's an office away from the office," she added.

In actual investigations, this type of Mobile CSI unit eliminates that professional time investigators spend traveling between their office and the crime scene, because almost all the tools needed to complete an investigation are located on the truck and enough room exists to test and store all evidence collected frommost scenes.Many of Missouri Southern’s current law enforcement students, after graduation, could find themselves using units markedly similar to the new teaching tool van on the Joplin campus.

“In professional CSI investigations, it all boils down to getting convictions in court," Dagnan said. "If law enforcement testimony isn't accepted because of improper methodology, cases are lost. These units give police a technologically advanced way to conduct investigations—ultimately resulting in more convictions and fewer criminals on the street.”

Missouri Southern’s new Mobile Crime Scene Investigation Unit contains the following:

* Fingerprint and 1:1 Evidence Camera for taking photos of fingerprints

* Professional Crime Scene Sketch Kit for creating crime scene sketches

* Evidence Vacuum Sweeper Kit for collecting fiber evidence

* Master Expert Latent Print Kit with Latent Powder, Chemical Fuming, and Chemical Processes for collecting latent fingerprints

* BLUEMAXX forensic light source for locating body fluids, hairs and fibers

* DUROCAST Impression Compound Kit for casting tool and bite marks

* Master Blood Test Kit for testing unknown substances to determine if they are blood

* Seminal Fluid Test Kit for testing unknown substances to determine if they are semen

* Trace Metal Detection Kit to determine if someone has touched a metal object (such as a firearm)

* Primer Residue Collection Kit to determine if there is gunshot residue on a person

* Cyanoacrylate Fuming Kit (finding fingerprints with superglue fuming)

* Narcotics Analysis Kit to test unknown substances to see if they are narcotics

* Number Restoration Kit to restore filed off serial numbers

* Sexual Assault Crimes Investigation Kits: Victim

* Search Alert Metal Detector

* Barrier Tape: "Crime Scene Do Not Cross"

* Crime Scene Tool Kit

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