Crime Scene Analysis Training Part of Southern Miss Forensic Science Academy

University of Southern Mississippi students and law enforcement personnel participating in the International Forensic Science Academy believe they're getting the best training possible to solve crimes.

Wednesday, participants in the seven-week academy were at Hampton Inn in Hattiesburg receiving instruction from experts in crime scene analysis and evidence collection. Academy training modules included blood stain patterns, crime scene reconstruction and photography, latent prints, tire and footwear impressions and courtroom testimony.

"I wanted to get the best instructors in the world to come to Hattiesburg and put on a bona fide forensic science academy, and that's what happened," said Dean Bertram, a Southern Miss forensic science instructor who helped coordinate the academy, which concludes this week.

The academy is hosted by the Southern Miss Forensic Science Program and the Southern Regional Public Safety Institute. Sixteen participants signed up for the entire program, while 10 went through specific training modules.

"Today is the culmination of all the training we've received," said Brian Farmer, a senior administration of justice major at Southern Miss who works with the South Mississippi Bureau of Forensic Services as a crime scene analyst. "It's a practical, hands-on experience that makes you grasp how to apply that training to real crime scenes and real-world situations."

"There's no comparison to the training you receive in this academy," he said. "You can't get this kind of experience sitting in a classroom."

Troy Dickerson, a forensic scientist with the New Orleans Police Department, agrees with Farmer. A 10-year veteran of the NOPD, Dickerson said the academy has helped take his expertise to the next level. "A crime scene investigation is like trying to solve a puzzle, and the academy has helped give me more tools to solve that puzzle," he said. "It has exceeded my expectations."

Dickerson said he has received a variety of training during the course of his career, but said nothing has compared to what he has learned through the academy. "It's very practical," he said. "You can learn from a textbook, but circumstances can change in a crime scene situation, and you can't learn how to deal with all of those reading a book."    

Officers from law enforcement agencies across South Mississippi assisted with the exercise Wednesday. Participants will then present their evidence in a courtroom situation later this week as part of their training, before graduating Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in a ceremony at the Southern Miss Polymer Science Auditorium.

Grant Graham, an adjunct instructor for the Southern Miss Forensic Science Program, is among the instructors at the academy who have taught across the country and around the world and are certified through the International Association of Identification.

One of the big advantages of the academy is that it is comprehensive in nature, Graham said. More often, law enforcement personnel receive training in segments over longer periods of time. "These students get in seven weeks what most get over the course of two-three years," he said.

After completing the academy, students will receive a certificate of academic instruction and be eligible for crime certification through IAI. 

The academy is the only one of its kind in Mississippi and one of just a few in the world, said Bertram. He hopes the university and the SRPSI can offer the program on an annual basis.

"We had some quality students taking part," Bertram said. "With their training, they should be able to go to work tomorrow."

For more information about the Academy and Southern Miss' Forensic Science and Administration of Justice programs, call 601.266.4509; online, visit http://www.usm.edu/aj/.

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Participants in the International Forensic Science Academy, hosted by the Southern Miss Forensic Science Program and the Southern Regional Public Safety Institute, took part in crime scene investigation training Wednesday at the Hampton Inn in Hattiesburg. (Photo by Jerry Santos)