In the field of crime fighting the best assets a police agency has are its officers and forensic lab technicians. The latter provide information detectives need to bring about a conviction. The same data can clear a suspect and not waste the agencies time or resources. Just by watching the television show of the same name can one understand how badly criminals today have it.
Sooner or later a misplaced hair will identify a possible perpetrator. Blood stains not visible to the naked eye lite up when sprayed with proper chemicals, luminol. Super glue can used to detect finger prints from plastic cards and trash bags. The area of blood splatter shows how and where a person was hit. It sometimes goes so far as to demonstrate what type of weapon may have been used. The list of methods is endless. The bad guys don't stand a chance.
The computer is not even safe from the brilliant minds of forensic science. A whole new spectrum has come about where in they can decipher what went into and came out of a desk top computer. It was the key witness in a case against an author accused of killing his wife.
Forensic anthropologists reconstruct entire bodies and help identify victims normally not ever given a name. Again science is playing a major role. The project may be time consuming, but to families of victims, a closure does come.
And advancements are made everyday to improve on steps already in place. Our neighbors across the pond and in Canada trade off ideas with us and vice versa. The common goal is the same, Justice.
Not only is the show educational and informative, but entertaining as well. Airing usually on the Court TV network, it merits watching at least once.