The CSI Effect
Being a student that is pursuing a Criminal Justice degree and having some knowledge, it is understood that
the CSI effect does have a significant effect on the public’s perceptions and expectations. The fact that the CSI effect
is even a thing is due to the television show CSI: Criminal Scene Investigation. For that reason alone, I think that it
is clear to state that the media does play a huge role into the public’s perception.
The CSI Effect is defined as a belief held among law enforcement personnel that forensic science television
dramas, influence people to expect more forensic evidence and resources to convict defendants of crimes. Although,
this line of thinking is very common contrary to popular belief, it is unrealistic. In television shows, film directors
portray quick turnaround times for crimes, an extreme abundance of resources and most importantly impossible
ways to collect DNA. Most shows portray one investigator doing all of the work, this is not true. In most cases, there
are always people working in teams to create a sense of reliability and honesty. In fact, most criminal investigation
firms have limited resources and several chain in commands. Also, most forensic science labs are backlogged which
creates an unusually longer turnaround time. The television dramas also portrays that all information is easily
accessible, yet again this is not true. The biggest misperception is when an investigator ties to someone to a crime
based on their fingerprints or DNA. This idea is only true if the person’s fingerprints/DNA is already in the system,
not everyone’s information is stored somewhere. The criminal justice system relies heavily on databases for