Christopher Gee's blog

Trouble in the snow!

The excitement of possible snow doesn’t rub off on me, I really don’t like it! You may all be running to your windows every morning hoping to see a white blanket across your lawn, but not me. It all brings me back to an incident a few years ago.

And that’s what I call it, ‘the incident’! The snow was thick and had settled, and everyone was told to only go out in a 4x4 vehicle. A few days passed and the vehicle restriction was lifted, however the roads were still bad. I decided to get in my van and risk it, as the people needed me!

I slowly arrived at the scene, did my forensic thing, and packed up ready to go. I popped the van in first gear and went to do a 3 point turn. It was then I drove onto ice and got my van stuck, mid 3 point turn, blocking the entire road. Thankfully the roads were quiet, or they may have spotted me from a distance and turned around!

I tried digging out the ice with a shovel but that didn’t work. Someone put down blankets and all my van did was throw them back at them due to the wheel spin. People were slipping and sliding trying to help push, and eventually a bright spark put down some sand. That was it, I was off!

I thanked everyone for their help, but it was so embarrassing blocking the entire road! I couldn’t exactly pretend the vehicle wasn’t mine! Not a fan of the snow…

Sun 5 Feb 10:03PM

CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS

So, you want to step into my crime scene? Well suit up; put on these overshoes, here’s a hairnet, some gloves and don’t forget the scene suit itself. You look wonderful. 

Now, sign into the scene by speaking to the scene guard. They’ll write your name into the scene log and the time you’ve entered. You might also want to let them know who you work for and what you’re here to do. An ID card will come in handy. 

Ok, so you’ve stepped into the scene with me. Don’t walk on the floor, we’re protecting it from unwanted footwear marks. Please walk on the stepping plates provided. Do what I do and pretend the floor is lava; fall off and you’ll get burnt, most likely by the Senior SOCO!

Right, go get ‘em.

One of the reasons programme’s like CSI and Bones are so successful is because they let the viewer go beyond the crime scene cordon tape. Instead of waiting on the other side of the yellow tape whilst a police officer says “nothing to see here”, the viewer is allowed to access sights and scenarios that the public are normally forbidden from. I say ‘normally’ as sometimes people live close to where a crime scene examination is, and they get a pretty good view. Everyone loves to see what goes on behind closed doors.

Crime scene do not cross, a photo by Mega_Iyad on Flickr

So what’s it like to step beyond the cordon? It does feel quite a privilege. Even if the Queen, the Prime Minister and Simon Cowell all turn up wanting to enter my scene, I can refuse them entry. It becomes awkward when a high ranking officer wants to enter, as they often expect to be allowed in without any bother. But this isn’t a TV show where you can wear what you like, you have to protect yourself from leaving unwanted forensic evidence. The scene suits we use get used the once, and thrown straight in the hazardous waste afterwards.

The photographs and videos I take have to be top quality. As there are certain restrictions as to who is allowed into the scene, these images and footage are all senior officers have to be able to experience the crime scene. Sometimes I feel a bit like an Army robot, sent in to view the scenes for my colleagues and report back!

And there are huge pressures on me, as sometimes an investigation will all depend on me. A murder scene I attended in 2010 was all forensics; we had no suspects at the time. We fast tracked our forensic evidence which led to the capture and conviction of two men. My job can be very stressful at times as SOCO’s have a huge expectation about them. But the rewards are worth it. I got a thank you from a victim after I attended court and gave evidence a few years ago, and it was then I knew I was in the right career. 

Fri 13 Jan 3:59PM

PLEASE HELP! Survey on stress

I’m doing a case study on trauma and counselling and would like your help. I think it’s a difficult task for people in my department to admit that something is troubling them. Not only that, but I think it’s hard for a manager to recognise when someone is stressed due to a scene they’ve dealt with. 

Talking to someone takes a lot of courage, and I think this big step may put some people off. Talking to someone you don’t know can be hard, but so can talking to someone you work with. This doesn’t just happen in my line of work, it could happen anywhere. 

So, I’ll get to the point. I’d really like your help at answering this little dilemma:

Something has happened at your work that has left you really upset. For example, a distressing phone call from an angry customer, or (in my line of work) a gruesome scene. Could be anything. You feel that this is really getting to you. How would you handle the stress? Would you want to talk to someone or keep it to yourself?

By answering this you’d be really helping me out. Please message me on Twitter or Tumblr and I’d be really grateful. If you re-tweet this post I’ll give you extra brownie points! Thank you for taking the time to read this. Regards.

Fri 23 Dec 9:45PM

From Dogs to People - Dealing with Traumatic Incidents

As a Scenes Of Crime Officer I am required to deal with anything from criminal damage to a murder scene. I can quite easily get involved in any case that needs a forensic input, and often I’m the youngest person assigned to a job! As staff around me have years of experience dealing with tough and traumatic incidents I sometimes feel like I have to harden up to things and not show emotion. However you can usually tell when I find a job quite tough; I usually go beyond what’s required and give 110%. Not always a bad thing, but I can tire myself out at a scene. 

As you may have read, I was involved in an incident where a dog was dragged by a motor vehicle. Growing up I have always had a pet dog, the first was a Rough Collie called Toby and my current dog is a little Jack Russell called Arnie (Arnold when he’s naughty). I found this case quite stressful as I kept thinking to myself ‘what if that was my dog’.

I dealt with a murder scene where a house had been entered and the victim had been killed in his own home. Again I thought to myself ‘what if this was a member of my family’.

The way I deal with stress from scenes is to talk to people. My colleagues and managers are always understanding and sympathetic. I’ll often hide that a job is upsetting me, but I’ll always discuss the scene with my co-workers which makes me feel better. Just having a different insight and knowledge is very helpful.

Another thing that helps me is YOU, the general public. I always find myself at burglaries and offences where decent, lovely people have been the victim of crime. The offenders are the minority and we are surrounded by good people who are kind and caring. This always reminds me that the chances of something happening are small, so thank you public!

What makes dealing with traumatic incidents easier is the sense of satisfaction that I am helping someone, and I hold onto that thought when I’m right in the middle of it all. The job will always be stressful, but the rewards are far greater.

Mon 19 Dec 4:16PM

Powdered Footwear Marks at Crime Scenes

If I don’t walk into your kitchen or lounge straight away please don’t be offended. It’s simply because I’m aware there may be footwear marks on the floor left by an offender. 

Like fingerprints, a footwear mark is conclusive evidence. Not only does everyone have their own unique set of fingerprints, but we all have different footwear marks. As soon as we step out of the shop wearing our new trainers we are wearing them down gradually. This ‘wear and tear’ is what scientists look at when comparing a crime scene footwear mark to a suspect’s shoe.

So, I find a footwear mark at a crime scene, what should I do? First I will be thinking about photographing the mark with a scale so a 1:1 photograph can be later produced. This photograph will be the same size as the actual mark. Depending on the surface the footwear mark is on I may then consider to develop the mark further. I would use my fingerprint powders to enhance the footwear mark, and if any more detail is revealed I would take another set of photographs. 

Once the photography is complete I will then think about lifting the mark. I could use a black gel lift or clear sticky plastic sheet for a powdered mark on a flat surface. My lift of choice is usually the black gel lift, as it adds a nice contrast to our silver powders.

Image shows a black gel lift before being placed on a powdered footwear mark

Image shows the black gel lift placed face down on top of the powdered mark

Image shows black gel lift with footwear detail, which can then be compared with the suspects footwear.

So that’s how I collect a powdered footwear mark at a scene. Stay tuned for footwear marks in blood, snow and mud.

Sun 30 Oct 7:11PM