What Is Crime Scene Investigation?
CSI is part of Valley ROP’s Public Services Department, so it is a stand-alone pathway. It includes an entry-level Criminal Justice course and then into CSI, which is a study of forensic science, which deals with crime scene investigations.
CSI is a secondary class and a College Prep elective. Students must take Criminal Justice first because most of the topics that CSI will cover have some key points from Criminal Justice. Criminal Justice falls into the College Prep part of the A-G and Graduation requirements. Criminal Justice is an introduction to the Criminal Justice system in the United States and around the world. Students get an introduction to Criminal Law, Police History, and Statistics.
By taking the class, students will learn about the three levels of Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections. They work together; they don’t work independently. By May, students should be able to understand why Police Officers do what they do, the importance of the Courts, and the need for Corrections.
CSI Instructor: Mark Bray
Mark Bray teaches Criminal Justice and Crime Scene Investigation in room O105, just behind the VAPA building. “I have been here at Dinuba for eight years,” said Mr. Bray. “I am old enough to retire as far as Law Enforcement goes, and I tell everybody, I’m not here because I have to be, I’m here ‘cause I want to be.”
Teaching was not Mr. Bray’s first profession. “I had to retire from Law Enforcement because of a medical reason—an injury. I was a Police Officer, sheriff’s Deputy, and sheriff’s sergeant. I worked at the Merced Police Department for four years and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department for twenty-four years.”
“Bray is actually a really good teacher; his stories always connect to what we’re learning and are very immersive. He’s always good with anyone, so long as they don’t overstep boundaries in skipping class or simply not listening during class,” described student Melinda Ledezma.
Activities Throughout The School Year
Whilst different programs tend to offer different activities for students, each is usually either a place they’ve been to before or somewhere that doesn’t seem all that appealing. For those who decide to take Criminal Justice or for those who are now able to move on to Crime Scene Investigation, there are a few unique field trips that students can go on.
For students who are in Criminal Justice, Mr. Bray has explained that he has taken students to places such as the Tulare Kings Police Academy, the Fresno County Jail, the Fresno County Coroner’s Office (also known as the Fresno County Morgue), and the courts. “Students don’t actually see an autopsy, but they have seen cadavers, and they have seen dead bodies. They get to understand the process of the Coroner’s Office.”
At the end of the year, CSI students go to San Francisco to visit Alcatraz, the infamous prison on an island that was said to be inescapable and once housed mobster Al Capone.
A Special Program
Criminal Justice and Crime Scene Investigation are two special classes. Students will not only learn new things, but both classes will provide a path to high-paying careers in law enforcement and public safety.
