The Vermont Crime On-Line Report for 2010, published by the Vermont Criminal Information Center, notes that the total amount of crimes in the state dropped by nine percent from 2009 to 2010. In 2010, the Vermont counties with the highest crime rates were Windham County, Chittenden County, Rutland County and Bennington County. Towns with the highest crime rates statewide included Stratton, Dover, Brattleboro, Burlington, Winooski, Rutland City, Fair Haven, Bennington, Glastonbury, Searsburg, and Woodford. It is likely that Vermont crime scene investigators worked at many, if not all, of the crime scenes included within these statistics. Becoming a crime scene investigator in Vermont is possible for those with the proper education and experience. Most Vermont crime scene investigation jobs require a combination of education and the practical knowledge gained from work experience in the field.
Crime scene investigator job titles in Vermont include:
- Detective
- Investigator
- Crime Scene Investigator
- Latent Print Examiner
- Detective Sergeant
Crime Scene Investigator Education in Vermont
Vermont’s career training schools, colleges and universities offer interested students the right training and education in crime scene investigation. Each CSI job carries its own educational requirements. Some may require a two-year degree, while others mandate possession of at least a four-year degree.
Crime Scene Investigation Certificates and Associate Degrees in Vermont
These types of Vermont crime scene investigator jobs require at least a certificate or two-year college degree:
- Latent Print Examiner, Vermont Forensic Lab
- Information Security Analyst, State of Vermont
Vermont schools in state and online offer these two-year degrees in crime scene investigation:
- Associate of Science in Criminal Justice
- Associate of Science in Forensic Science
- Associate of Science in Criminal Investigations
CSI Bachelor and Graduate Degrees in Vermont
These crime scene investigation-related jobs in Vermont require at least a four-year degree:
- Adjunct faculty member, Digital Forensics, college level
- Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, college level
- Detective, Bureau of Criminal Investigations of city police department
- Detective sergeant, Bureau of Criminal Investigations of city police department
- Investigator, county police department
- Forensic chemist, State of Vermont
Undergraduate and graduate degrees at the four-year and above level available in Vermont and online include:
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Investigations
- Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science
- Bachelor of Science in Forensic Psychology
- Master of Science in Criminal Justice
- Master of Science in Forensic Science
Professional Training for Crime Scene Investigators in Vermont
Once one has a job as a crime scene investigator in Vermont, professional training is sometimes necessary. The Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council offers a number of courses targeting specific responsibilities of crime scene investigators. Courses available to law enforcement professionals include:
- Basic crime scene investigation
- Death investigation
- Fingerprint certification and re-certification
- Homicide investigation: Crime Scene to Courtroom
- Vermont Drug Recognition Expert
Law Enforcement Organizations for CSI Jobs in Vermont
- Vermont State Police Crime Scene Search Team – The Crime Scene Search Team of the Vermont State Police collects evidence at major crime scenes throughout Vermont. The Vermont Forensic Lab in Waterbury is utilized to analyze this evidence.
- South Burlington Police Department Bureau of Criminal Investigations – The Bureau of Criminal Investigations of this city police department in Vermont investigates the most serious and complex crimes occurring in the area. Five specially trained detectives and a supervising detective sergeant make up the Bureau.
- Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations – This specialized law enforcement agency serves Chittenden County and the state of Vermont in investigations of serious child abuse and sexual assaults. An investigator with the Department of Children and Families is a part of the team, which also consists of seven police detectives.
- Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation – This major division of the Vermont State Police works with the Crime Scene Search Team in investigating major crimes across the state.
Forensics Salary for Lab Technicians and CSIs in Vermont
The primary source of forensic science jobs in Vermont is with the state’s Department of Public Safety’s Forensic Lab. This lab in Burlington is the state’s only forensic lab and provides services to a wide range of agencies. Some of the types of professionals that seek the lab’s services include:
- Police officers
- Game wardens
- Attorneys’ investigators
- Public defenders
Since the Forensic Lab is the only crime lab, it provides a range of services. Lab technicians perform a wide range of analyses, while other personnel investigate crime scenes. While crime scene investigators (CSIs) are frequently sworn officers, this lab is staffed entirely by civilians.
Salaries for 2012 are available for some of the crime lab positions. The following forensic scientist positions can involve either working in the lab as a technician or in the field as a crime scene investigator. The 2012 annual salary for two of these positions is shown below:
- Forensic chemist II $42,411
- Forensic chemist I $40,498
Other forensic scientists in this division work entirely in the lab and frequently specialize in particular types of analyses. 2012 salary information was available for the following position:
- Forensic lab latent print examiner III: $63,419
Other specialties for forensic scientists include:
- Toolmark examination
- DNA analysis
- Blood pattern analysis
- Impression analysis