CSI: Teesside and Florida

By Clearing

American criminals will be facing a new adversary next year: a mother-of-two from Middlesbrough! Wendy James has just achieved a BSc (Hons) degree in Crime Scene Science at the University of Teesside, and is now set to relocate to Florida to work as a Crime Scene Investigator.

Wendy, 37, from Ormesby, Middlesbrough, has landed the incredible new job with a Florida Sheriff’s Department, via an Internet search.

Wendy said: “We decided to emigrate and give the kids a taste of another country. So I did a few Internet searches and found a contact in a Sheriff’s Department in Florida. After exchanging a few emails and going through a phone interview, I was amazed to be offered the job! I’ll miss this area though – it’s where I was born and raised and we’ve got a lot friends and relatives here, but this is a great opportunity for us as a family.

“UK crime scene training is very sought after in other countries. We covered everything at Teesside, where as other countries are more specific in their approach. When I first spoke to the Florida Sheriff’s Department, they were amazed that I had done crime scene photography, evidence collection and laboratory analysis and lots more. It’s a great foundation to build upon and we got to use the Crime Scene Laboratory which gave us a real working experience of collecting evidence in a realistic environment.

“I was the oldest student on the course, but soon settled in. The tutors are very supportive of mature students and realise that we have other responsibilities as well as studying.

“I’ve seen the CSI TV programmes and they’re fun, but not very realistic. The characters just walk into crime scenes wearing suits instead of the protective work suits they should wear, they take finger print samples incorrectly and best of all, they interview suspects! Crime Scene Investigators don’t go any where near suspects, that’s the police’s job! But I suppose they’re OK and if they interest people in this type of work, they’re worth having on the TV.”

Wendy will jet off to Florida with her husband, self-employed painter and decorator Lenny, and their two children Kirsty, 15, and Dominic, 11, next year after Kirsty has completed her school education.

The University of Teesside runs a variety of Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Science courses, at both undergraduate and Masters level. The courses all make use of the University’s Crime Scene Laboratory – a 16 room building where crime scenes are created in a variety of domestic and professional settings, such as living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and offices. The students gain experience of how to collect evidence without compromising the integrity of the scene and all of the rooms are covered by CCTV, so the lectures and students can review their performance.

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