The future of forensic investigation looks to be bright thanks to the work of high school students in Northeast Tennessee.
Over 130 students from 10 schools descended upon Valley Forge Free Will Baptist on Friday, Nov. 18, for the fifth annual Northeast Tennessee Regional CSI Competition.
It was a successful event, according to Elizabethton High School Criminal Justice Instructor Ryan Pressnell, who credited the students’ demeanor and work ethic throughout the day.
And Cyclone faithful were able to make some noise during the competition, earning the grand champion honors for 2016.
“I’m so proud of them,” Pressnell said. “They’ve put in the work. This group has worked hard since day one with studying, even after-school. They’re very dedicated and I couldn’t ask for a better group.”
EHS also brought in individual awards in the photo/sketch, blood spatter and footwear mold competitions.
Students were greeted to a variety of methods throughout the competition, along with the events EHS took home top honors in , students also worked with blood spatter, autopsy examination, glass forensics, skeletal remains forensics and firearm forensics.
To orchestrate an event of this magnitude each takes a lot of effort, Pressnell added. Multiple police agencies, including the Elizabethton Police and Carter County Sheriff’s Department took time out of their day to work with students to learn the ins and outs of crime scene investigation.
“Not only do we have the real world examples,” Presnell added about having law enforcement on hand. “But now we get to add the competition to what it is we teach so that they get the hands-on experience, feel the stress of walking into what is a real-life crime scene. It allows them experience the career a lot better than by just sitting in the classroom.”
The camaraderie on officers coming together for events like these are key, according to Pressnell, who added that the officers that assist always look forward to the opportunity of working with high school students to help them decide on a career path.
The event was broken up into six different sessions. After a sign-in period and briefing, students scattered throughout the church’s premise working at different points with law enforcement. Students were also treated with lunch inside the church’s sanctuary.
A popularity for crime scene investigation has grown throughout the years with different television shows describing the act.
While the notoriety has led to popularity for the class, Pressnell added events like Friday’s is a perfect way to show students there’s more than just forensic that go into investigating a crime scene.
“Forensics is just a small part of CSI,” Pressnell said. “There’s been a popularity for the classes but students are able to learn so much more about the job. They’re able to see how officers react in these different situations.”