The forensic science needs of law enforcement applicants and recruits: A survey of Michigan law enforcement agencies*

Abstract

Many colleges and universities offer forensic science courses ranging from a single introductory class to majors. Previous research has not addressed how valuable these courses are to undergraduate criminal justice students who aspire to enter the law enforcement field. A random sample of law enforcement agencies in Michigan were surveyed. Seventy-eight percent of respondents agreed that knowledge of forensic science was important and 46% preferred that applicants have a forensic science background prior to hiring. The knowledge areas deemed most important were interviewing techniques, crime scene documentation, evidence collection, and latent fingerprint analysis.