Class in crime forensics for youths is expanding

But now thanks to Hollywood, a flowering of interest in the discipline is occurring.

Enter FORENSICS: The SCIENCE Detectives, a college- preparatory course that offers intensive hands-on experience in forensic science.

The program, which started as a one-week workshop, has expanded to three weeks and teaches high school students what it's really like to be a forensic scientist, said Program Director Al Agellon.

He calls it using science in the context of law. To the uninformed TV viewer this is called "CSI," but Agellon hopes the summer program will shed a light of reality on the subject and foster kids' interest in the field of forensics because of such television shows.

Arizona Research Laboratories is collaborating with the Tucson Police Department Crime Laboratory and the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner to teach kids many aspects of forensic science, including pathology, entomology, chemistry and law.

Agellon said students will process crimes scenes at various locations in Tucson and then move to the laboratory and perform scientific analysis on the evidence collected.

"It could be murder; it could be a drug case; it could be anything," Agellon said. "The program concludes with a mock trial. The students will pick the discipline they are most interested in and testify in court."

find out more

Call Al Agellon at 591-5325 or agellon@u.arizona.edu