Auction Ends: Dec 1, 2008 03:00 AM PST

Life Experience

CSI Criminalist for a Day at Contra Costa County Forensics Department and Crime Lab

Item Number: 987765

Estimated Value: Priceless
Sold: 205 USD to grizzlyd

Number of Bids: 7 - Bid History

Item Description

CSI Criminalist for a Day at Contra Costa County Forensics Department and Crime Lab. This experience is for up to four people.

Please Note: See below. If you cannot meet these requirements, don't bid.

You and three of your friends will be taken on an exclusive, inside tour of the Contra Costa County Fornesics Department and Crime Lab. You will meet real life CSIs, learn about the various criminalist departments, learn about educational and experience requirements for employment with the department, learn about the real daily life activities of a criminalist, ask what some of their career highlights were and hear anecdotes about CSI real life experiences.

Forensics & Crime Lab

The primary function of this Division is the objective examination, evaluation, comparison, and interpretation of physical evidence related to the investigation of crimes.

It also provides consultation and training to other divisions and agencies. The Division is accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD-LAB). There were over 21,000 requests for forensic services in the year 2002.

This Unit is separated out into four sections:

Alcohol, Drug, and Toxicology
Central Identification
Criminalistics
Property and Evidence

Alcohol, Drug, & Toxicology Section
1960 Muir Rd.
Martinez, CA 94553
Ph: (925) 313-2800

This section consists of four Units:

Alcohol Analysis
Drug Analysis
Toxicology
Clandestine Laboratory Analysis

Each unit plays a role in accomplishing the section’s four principal tasks. These include analysis of the following:

Controlled substances seized by police officers
Blood, breath, and urine samples for alcohol
Blood and urine samples, and post-mortem tissues / fluids for drug and toxic substances.
Chemicals seized from suspected drug manufacturing sites.

Case work is performed for all law enforcement agencies in Contra Costa and in Solano Counties. Staff members also provide expert testimony of findings in court proceedings.

Central Identification Services
500 Court St.
Martinez, CA 94553
Ph: (925) 335-1600

Central Identification Services, in conjunction with Alameda County, operates and maintains the two-county Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). The AFIS system has a database containing more than 680,000 fingerprint cards from both counties. Using this database, the Section:

Searches rolled fingerprints to discover a list of candidates, which may contain the identity of any person arrested or booked in Contra Costa County.
Searches latent fingerprints (fingerprints developed on evidence gathered at crime scenes) against the database in order to discover possible candidates who may have been involved in the perpetration of a crime.
Once candidates have been located in the AFIS system, the fingerprints submitted by the arresting police agency are compared by Fingerprint Technicians or Fingerprint Examiners to master fingerprint cards on file. The fingerprint comparison is done to positively establish a subject's identity.

Criminalistics Section
1122 Escobar Street
Martinez, CA 94553
Ph: (925) 335-1500

This section provides physical evidence examination to all governmental agencies in Contra Costa County and the City of Vallejo in Solano County. The majority of the casework is performed for City Police Departments and the Office of the Sheriff

The Criminalistics section has two major functions:

Analysis of diverse types of physical evidence such as hairs, fibers, firearms, and physiological fluids
Examination of crime scenes

This may include the processing of the entire crime scene or technical assistance to agencies upon request. Staff members also provide expert testimony of findings in court proceedings.

Property & Evidence Services
2099 Arnold Industrial, Ste. D
Martinez, CA 94553
Ph: (925) 646-5877

Personnel in this section are responsible for the storage, record keeping, and disposition of all property and evidence submitted to them by the Sheriff’s office, as well as the contract cities of Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Oakley, and San Ramon

Items and relevant information are recorded via a computerized bar code system, much like the pricing system utilized at the check stand of your local supermarket.

Item Special Note

Must be 21 years of age to bid on this item and each of the four participants must be 21 years of age at the time of the experience/tour.
You will need to contact the Foundation by December 14th and then the Forensics and Crime Lab Department within two weeks of winning the item in the auction.
Each participant needs to submit a copy of his or her driver's license prior to confirming your actual appointment for the experience. And you will need to bring your driver's licenses with you when you come to the lab.
Participants will need to pass a screening prior to confirmation of your date. If you have a criminal record, please don't even bid, you will not be allowed on the visit to the lab.
This is a unique and rare opportunity, please take it seriously. Use utmost respect with all members of the department.
This experience is intented for "mature audiences only". Take that hint seriously.

This CSI Life Experience was donated by the Contra Costa Sheriff's Deparment Forensics and Crime Lab for the benefit of Solano Community College Foundation and teaching and learning programs at Solano Community College.