The Griffon News

Over spring break unique class will feature CSI training

Buried bodies, skeletons, bloodstain patterns and autopsy evidence can all be found on Missouri Western’s campus over spring break.

The Criminal Justice Department is offering a three-credit hour class on reconstructing crime scenes. Jan Johnson of the Southern Institute of Forensic Science in Hattiesburg,
Mississippi instructs the course.

Johnson, who is retired from the FBI, has worked with forensic science for over 35 years and is considered one of the top professionals in her field.

Kip Wilson, associate professor of criminal justice, has been a part of this class in each of the five years it has been offered at Western.

“It’s a very unique class that offers a handson approach,” Wilson said. “The instructors of this class are not your typical professors.”

Johnson will be using experts with multiple years of field experience to help her teach this class.

The course is designed to help connect all of the forensic pieces of a crime scene, piece-bypiece.

It also assists in the documentation of physical evidence.

Mock scenes for this course are designed to help participants recognize the importance of scene documentation and to obtain information for crime scene reconstruction.

Through their traveling seminars, the SIFS has taught many individuals that now work for respected agencies, including the U.S. Army, FBI, NYPD and the Texas Rangers.

The crime scene class is not just for college students. This year’s enrollment includes a St. Joseph Police officer and a Texas Ranger.

The SIFS is known and respected throughout the world of Criminal Justice.

Last year, a graduate student from England traveled to Missouri Western to participate in this unique learning opportunity.

Classes will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the test will be held on Saturday.

The cost of the class is $695 per participant.