The Power of TV compells you!

I may from time to time have the odd snipe at TV programmes such as CSI and their ilk, but truth be told they do raise the profile of us humble forensic-litter-collectors, almost to ridiculous proportions, I met a young ne'er do well chap in the lift of a block of flats in a nasty little estate once who said something along the lines of 'Ahh man you're from forensics ain't ya. I tell you wot it aint worth doing anything wrong with you lot around nowadays cos I keep getting caught!'

I attended a Burglary once where a car had been stolen and the victim suspected his son of taking the car. There was no apparent forced entry and the son hadn't been seen since everyone in the household went to bed. Sure enough there was no obvious point of entry and nothing out of place in the premises, with things like digital cameras and mobile phones easy to hand.

I start having a look at the rear ground floor windows just to check for forced entry or any signs of disturbance, at this point the son returns home, I was safely out of sight on the other side of the kitchen door's frosted glass. The accusations start flying from the father and are heavily denied from the son. I move towards the outside of the Dining Room window, inside the Offices are writing their statements. Son sees the officers and continues to deny any involvement, then he suddenly stops looks out the window towards me and says 'Who's he?' to which the officer replies 'That's our chap from forensics, he is here to find out what happened.'. Son is suddenly looking very scared at this point, tears start to well up in his eyes and then he confesses the whole thing, how he took his dads car keys, couldn't find the house keys, climbed out the dining room window, went to a party in his dads car and left it two streets away with the keys still in it.

Dad decides not to take it any further after the other office locates the car safe and well, but just as I walk out the door to my van I spot a row of about 15 DVDs neatly stacked beside the television in the lounge, on each of their spines was ther acronym 'CSI'.