CSULB produces more criminalists

Cal State Long Beach produces more criminalists than any other area campus, said Warren Clark, a CSULB criminalist professor.

"They work with the ATF, FBI, city government and police departments throughout the country," Clark said.

Clark explained that CSULB is recognized by these departments for producing quality criminalists, and has more graduates in this field than any other area campus. Criminalists identify blood type and DNA, study arson and forged documents and use forensics to identify types of bullets and bullet wounds.

The most damaging testimony against O.J. Simpson during his preliminary hearing was given by two criminalists from CSULB.

CSULB graduate Gregory Matheson, who now works for the LAPD crime lab, discovered that a blood stain found near Nicole Brown Simpson's body could have been left by O.J. Dennis Fung, another CSULB graduate who works for the LAPD crime lab, identified much of the blood found on O.J. Simpson's property as belonging to the former football star.

Besides identifying blood at crime scenes, criminalists aid in the capture of criminals by using scientific techniques that require a knowledge of biology and chemistry. They use DNA technology to solve rape cases and identify murderers and study teeth imprints to identify bodies and criminals who may have left a bite mark on a person or on an item of food. They study bullet wounds to determine the range and angle at which a person was shot, as well as the type of gun and ammunition used.

Criminalists also study behavioral sciences to create psychological profiles of criminals. These profiles can drastically reduce the time it takes police to capture suspects.

After identifying evidence at the crime scene and in a laboratory, criminalists often assist in the conviction of suspects by testifying as expert witnesses at trials.