Forensic Services Technician II

Duties

Examples of Duties

• Operates a police vehicle and responds to crime scenes, hospitals, and the medical examiner's office to collect and transport evidence.
• Surveys actual and suspected crime scenes, takes photographs, and prepares sketches of same.
• Searches for and develops latent prints.
• Photographs and fingerprints deceased individuals.
• Performs gunshot residue tests at shootings.
• Prepares evidence for further examination, analysis, and processing.
• Develops various types of plaster and rubber casts of crime scene evidence.
• Evaluates prints and photographs.
• Operates digital cameras and related equipment to capture images of crime scenes, victims, and physical evidence.
• Examines, enhances, and produces images of physical evidence including latent fingerprints, palm prints, and images from photographs and videotape.
• Maintains image files on data storage devices.
• Photographs crime suspects, crime victims, and victims of suspected domestic and child abuse.
• Prepares detailed and accurate written reports on crime scene processing and completes all forms required for same.
• Prepares and presents evidence, photographs, and sketches and testifies in criminal courts.
• Demonstrates proficiency in one of the following specialized areas: digital enhancement, shoeware and tire track examination, and blood splatter analysis.
• Trains and advises lesser skilled technicians.
• Reviews and verifies the work of others.

Examples of Other Duties

• Cleans, maintains, and organizes vehicle.
• Orders and maintains supplies, and prepares equipment required to perform duties.
• Works with other Forensic Services specialists.
• May train and advise other departmental personnel.
• May participate in photography assignments, including photographing line-ups, copying photographs, and other related photographic tasks.
• May attend training sessions, participate in seminars and conferences, and testify in courts, both locally and out-of-state.
• Performs other related duties as required.

 Earn a Degree in Crime Scene Investigation, Forensic Science, Computer Forensics or Forensic Psychology

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Possession of a bachelor's degree in a biological or physical science, criminalistics, criminal justice, law enforcement, or a related field.
plus
• Three years' experience in forensics or evidence collection.
• Experience in forensics or evidence collection may be substituted on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four years for the required education.

Licenses and Certificates

• Possession of a valid driver's license equivalent to a non-commercial, class C Maryland driver's license is required at the time of appointment.

Conditions of Employment

• Employees hired after July 1, 2022 are required to participate in the Baltimore County Employees' Retirement System, with very limited exceptions.
• On appointment to this classification, an employee must provide a DNA sample to be maintained for quality assurance purposes by way of buccal swab of the inside of the employee's mouth or current standardized collection procedure to be performed by qualified police department personnel. Provision of the DNA sample is a condition of employment and shall only be used for law enforcement purposes as a forensic laboratory or for purposes of human remains identification and request, but only to the extent that the genetic information is used for analysis of DNA identification markers for quality control to detect sample contamination. It shall be maintained and disclosed only in a manner consistent with law, separate from the employee's personnel file as a confidential medical record, and will not be used for any other purpose. See 75 Fed. Reg. 68912, 68936 (November 9, 2010), 42 U.S.C. 2000ff-1(b)(6), 29 CFR 1635.8(b)(6), as amended. Provision of the DNA sample is a bona fide occupational qualification reason
• ably necessary to the normal operation of the police department. Failure to provide the DNA sample would prevent performance of an essential job function.
• Employees in this classification may be assigned to a work shift which includes nights, evenings, weekends, and/or holidays. Employees in this classification are subject to call to duty in emergencies, and may be required to work overtime as needed.

Physical and Environmental Conditions

• The work of this classification frequently requires walking and standing, lifting, carrying, or dragging equipment and evidence of various sizes and shapes, traveling between work sites, and exposure to adverse weather conditions, toxic chemicals, bio-medical hazards, such as blood and other body fluids, and other hazardous conditions. Some situations will require climbing ladders, working at heights, or accessing confined spaces.

Character Requirements

• All applicants must be of good moral character and emotionally stable, as determined by a comprehensive background investigation, polygraph examination, and drug test. Employees are subject to periodic drug testing.

Medical Examination and Employment Background Investigation

• Applicants selected for employment with Baltimore County must successfully complete a physical examination, drug screening and employment investigation, including, but not limited to criminal background, education certification and fingerprinting checks.

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