Week Two: Evidence Processing and OWI Arrest Breakdown

Week Two of the Citizens Police Academy began at the . After a brief tour, we learned about evidence processing from investigator Michelle Wichman.

After a brief explanation and demonstration, a few of us tried to dust for fingerprints. Wichman said there are two types of powders investigators can use — traditional powder, which is a mess to clean up; or magnetic powder.

We dusted for prints on different surfaces like wine glasses or soda cans. With purple rubber gloves I got right in there and tried the magnetic dust. It's made of tiny metal shavings and the wand is almost like a paint brush without bristles. Once you get it close to the dust contatiner, the shavings jump right onto the magentic pen, and it looks something like a sea urchin.

Carefully, you gently dust from left to right. Unlike the television shows where they twist the brush, Wichman showed us that you brush lightly from left to right. Too much dust and the fingerprints will just be a big pile of mush; too little, and you won't see them. It has to be just right.

Then there's a one-inch-by-one-inch square to lift the fingerprint. I peeled away the backing and nearly got my purple glove stuck to the sheet. It's a very tedious process to keep your glove out of there. The trick is avoiding bubbles once you lay the sheet onto the object you're lifting prints from. Bubbles will interrupt the print, making it harder to identify.

I smoothed the plastic sheet a few times, and voila! A fingerprint from a soda can!

Following evidence processing we also were given some inside information about processing drunk drivers.

There's a test that officers give called horizontal gaze nystagmus — also known as "follow the pen without moving your head."

The trick with this test is to look very, very closely at the eyes. As they slide from left to right, if they seem jerky and don't move fluidly, then that person has likely consumed alcohol. Once they eyes are completely to the far left, or right, you can actually see the eye tick, or jump. It seems to bump up against that side of the eye over and over again until it moves back to the middle.

Next week's class will be at the River Hills Police Department, where we'll learn about hiring and recruitment of officers, along with field training processes and evaluations.