Students Practice Evaluating Crime Scenes

Criminal justice students around the world have a great advantage to help in the learning process. Criminal justice is a field of study that involves hands-on learning. Processing a crime scene is something that can be taught, but is ultimately best learned in the field. Mock crimes scenes are a common teaching tool used today in the classroom…or out of the classroom.

Students in Marana High School in Arizona were taken to the space under the bleachers at their school where they were met with a mock crime scene. Students acted as the different people involved in a crime scene from policemen to witnesses to crime scene investigators. The activity designed by Rick Pines–their teacher–included many details of crime scene such as fake dead bodies, bullet shells, fake blood, a bloody knife, and so on. The students enjoyed the activity and felt like it was very rewarding to get a feel for what they could be dealing with if they choose to pursue a career in investigative/police work.

Tom Mauriello–president and CEO of ForensIQ, Inc–conducts a similar activity with his students at The University of Maryland. Based on his book The Dollhouse Murders, he has several little rooms that are doll-sized and are typical rooms you would come across in a house.  Rooms like the kitchen and the garage are some of the few included. Each room is a crime scene. As the students arrive to class, they are presented with a few facts and asked to determine what happened. One student for each group acts as a “know it all” and can answer specific yes or no questions. It really is a great activity to get the students’ minds thinking like investigators.

To read more about the Marana students, check out this article.