Forensics Lab Manager Discusses Crime Scene Investigations

Photo courtesy of Kaytlyn Kindschy.

By Kaytlyn Kindschy

Lincoln Police Department Forensics Lab Manager Erin Sims was hosted by the Criminal Justice Club to talk with students about the reality of crime scene investigations.

Sims received her criminal justice degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has 37 years of experience with the Lincoln Police Department. She has specifically been working in crime scene investigations as the only certified bloodstain analyst in the state of Nebraska and stressed how different agencies operate differently when it comes to crime scenes. 

“Uniformed officers, detectives, and crime scene technicians are responsible for collecting evidence in our agency,” Sims said.

Sims showed how the different crime scene investigation agencies in Nebraska specialize in different kinds of processes due to the trained professionals they have within their agencies. 

“Fingerprints,”” Audio,” “Video,” “Searching” and “Numbering and Blood Splatter” are among the process of investigating crime scenes in the Lincoln Police Department, however, “Photography” was stressed to be a very important part of that process. 

“Photographing your crime scene using a lot of different angles and overlapping shots is very important,” Sims said. “Always pay attention to who is watching the crime scene unfold because criminals come back to the crime scene.”

The city of Lincoln processes, on average, about four homicides per year, an extremely low number compared to bigger cities that average 50 to 150 homicides per year. 

“Our crime rate is so low, probably because we don’t sweat the small stuff,” Sims said. “I had never seen a dead body or even been to a funeral when I started in this field but I’ve lived through it, so if you think it’s not for you, you can also live through it.”

Concordia’s Criminal Justice Club will be hosting law school representatives next Wednesday, Nov. 20, and welcomes anyone that is interested.