According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Maintain records of evidence and write and review reports. | 97% |
| Package, store and retrieve evidence. | 95% |
| Submit evidence to supervisors, crime labs, or court officials for legal proceedings. | 94% |
| Testify in court and present evidence. | 94% |
| Analyze and process evidence at crime scenes, during autopsies, or in the laboratory, wearing protective equipment and using powders and chemicals. | 93% |
| Look for trace evidence, such as fingerprints, hairs, fibers, or shoe impressions, using alternative light sources when necessary. | 92% |
| Interview victims, witnesses, suspects, and other law enforcement personnel. | 92% |
| Photograph crime or accident scenes for evidence records. | 91% |
| Dust selected areas of crime scene and lift latent fingerprints, adhering to proper preservation procedures. | 89% |
| Process film and prints from crime or accident scenes. | 87% |
| Perform emergency work during off-hours. | 84% |
| Create sketches and diagrams, by hand or computer software, to depict crime scenes. | 82% |
| Identify, compare, classify, and file fingerprints, using systems such as Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) or the Henry Classification System. | 79% |
| Serve as technical advisor and coordinate with other law enforcement workers or legal personnel to exchange information on crime scene collection activities. | 75% |
| Coordinate or conduct instructional classes or in-services, such as citizen police academy classes and crime scene training for other officers. | 67% |
