Today’s guest blogger is V.B. Tenery, a retired middle-management exe
cutive, who now spends her time writing suspense, romantic suspense, supernatural suspense and historical suspense. Tenery knows suspense.
BAD NEWS FOR THE BAD GUYS
As a suspense writer, I was fascinated by the TV program CSI and the technology they used to catch criminals. Although I soon grew tired of the series, the tools they used to collect evidence captivated me. Now, when I run across something new in forensic science I begin to salivate like Pavlov’s dogs. Anything new soon finds its way into my novels.
VMD Technology
VMD short for vacuum metal deposition uses gold and zinc to recover fingerprints. Manufactured by West Technology Systems Limited, the VMD technique was actually developed by the UK Home Office, Police Scientific Development Branch.
With this fast, single treatment process, fingerprints may be photographed immediately after removing the exhibit from the machine and renders high quality resolution including 3rd level detail of pores and ridge shapes. Detects fingerprints on articles which have been wetted due to rain, condensation or even prolonged immersion in water.
The science has been around since the 70s, but its latest use has created a lot of excitement in forensic laboratories and crime scene units because it can also raise prints from cloth and gives higher sensitivity and detection than the superglue followed by dyeing process. Imagine the possibilities of law enforcement officers being able to obtain the killers fingerprints off the victims clothing.
The VMD made an appearance in Works of Darkness my 
police procedural suspense novel, released March 27, 2014.
Pocket CSI
The Pocket CSI is a suite of a dozen applications designed to help First Responders be efficient at crime scenes and brings crime detection into the 21st century. The software can be loaded into a detective’s iPhone, iPad or most any Apple reader. It’s divided into three groups: Tools, Calculators and Evidence.
Within the Tools Group are: A Caliper, Level, DOA notes, Officer Audio Note Taker, and Documents (reference material, i.e. Miranda, probable cause, statement, weapon identifier, etc.)
The Calculator Groups provides: Skid Mark calculator and a Blood Spatter Trajectory calculator.
The last group, Evidence gathering, includes jpg folders for pictures, video folders, a Field Contact Report and an Audio recorder for taking witness/victim/suspect statements.
Readers enjoy the realism new technology brings to my suspense novels an
d I’ve been asked if the forensic science really exits. Alas, I could find nothing new that fit the story line in my latest novel Dead Ringer, released May 9, 2014.
The first three chapters of both novels are featured on my website.
JIM: She got my attention. As a suspense writer, I loved it. If you liked it, please leave a comment.
Her website is: www.vbtenery.com
Her FB Author page is: www.facebook.com/vbtenery
Her blog is: www.agatharemembered.blogspot.com
The “CSI Effect” is a real problem for the criminal justice system. Based on their TV viewing, many people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to collecting evidence and solving crimes. When we go to a crime scene, victims often expect us to do things we can not do.
When I testify, I often have to “teach” the jury that we can not perform all the functions seen on TV. Much of what you see on CSI is pure fantasy or simply too expensive for the average police department. We must educate juries during the trial because of some unexpected jury verdicts when obviously guilty defendants were acquitted. In polling jurors, prosecutors have found that the answer in those cases was, quite literally, that “the police didn’t do it the way it’s done on CSI.”
The average return time on DNA analysis is MONTHS, not MINUTES! Crime labs simply can not keep pace with the volume of cases submitted. Even if a lab could jump right on a case as soon as it’s submitted, it would take about two weeks for the testing at most current facilities.
Please check out my website for writers! http://writecrimeright.com
So fascinating! I enjoyed this post. Someone was telling me of the “CSI Effect”–the impression jurors get that evidence can be gathered more quickly and effectively than it actually can in real life. She said it really frustrated her detective friend. I can believe that. I reckon everyone expects the crime to be solved in an hour these days. 😀
Great post. I love all things technology! Will bookmark this site and off to find your series.
Interesting…I’m also fascinated with CSI’s technology…and NCIS. I record their shows and if I see anything that might be of value later, I keep the recording for reference!! Who says TV is bad for you? It’s a great source for writers as you say. I’ll visit your sites. Thanks for sharing.
Forensic “toys” are part of the fun of writing suspense, and I just found a new rifle.LOL .
Very interesting! Im a huge forensics fan, too. Will be looking for your series.