Forensic science is the use of evidence to piece together information on a crime and find the criminal responsible. Police departments use several methods to investigate crime scenes.
DNA Forensics
The most effective way to find out who committed the crime is through DNA analysis. This method comes into play when a criminal leaves behind hair, skin, blood or anything else from his body. The DNA in the sample is compared with the DNA from potential suspects to find the criminal. In some cases DNA evidence is useless because sample sizes are too small or there are no matches among the suspects.
Computer Forensics
Computer forensics, which is sometimes called digital forensics, uses computers to find the criminal. Investigators use The computers in a variety of ways depending on the crime. Crimes that use a computer, such as scamming from a computer or stealing an identity online, leave a digital imprint that the computer forensics team can trace back to the criminal. Other uses of computer forensics include inputting data into a computer, such as a fingerprints, and searching through databases to find a match.
Methods Using Insects
Forensics often refer to insects at the crime scene to determine specific information, such as the time a murder victim died. The term "forensic entomology" describes this particular method of forensics. The entomologist looks at the insects around the crime scene and from the insects can find out when the victim died.
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic anthropology is the method of looking at bones to determine the way a victim died. Forensic anthropology is usually used for human studies, such as looking at how a group died during specific historical time periods based on the bones. In criminal investigations, this method comes into play when the evidence consists of skeletal remains of a victim rather than a body.
Read More: The Differences Between Criminology & Forensic Science