‘I’ve seen this on CSI’: Criminal investigators' perceptions about the management of public expectations in the field

Abstract

Police perceptions as to the influence of CSI and similar forensic and/or police procedural television programs on public expectations of the investigative process in the field is the focus of the present study. Through qualitative interviews with 31 members of Canadian police forces, I explore the question of whether police investigative personnel view media representations of their work as negatively influencing public expectations, thereby creating a source of occupational role strain for police officers. What is revealed is that the majority of investigative personnel interviewed have experienced citizen queries and demands attributed to consumption of unrealistic images of police work in television programs. Where a minority of investigators report feelings of frustration due to the role strain associated with having their expert knowledge and work methods questioned, the majority of those interviewed saw such queries as opportunities for educating the public about the realities of policing.

The Prum Regime: Situated Dis/Empowerment in Transnational DNA Profile Exchange

“…It remains to be seen whether the criminal investigation will be immune to such a CSI effect. Ironically, police investigators are often aware of such a danger and emphasise the need for 'good old' police work (Prainsack 2007;2010b;Huey 2010). It is exactly the stronger reliance on technological tools, not the reliance on human judgement and interpretation, which introduces the risk of undue bias.…”

Entangled Webs: Forensic Facticity and the Construction of Police Work

“…Although this phenomenon is not inherently problematic, it contributes to a disconnect in officers' minds between what can be feasibly accomplished on the job and the miraculous and seamless efforts of television officers to draw their cases to a close. As such, cop shows can be a potent threat to the symbolic power of officers by mediating the interactions between officers and the public, an influence found in Huey's (2010) work.…”

A surfeit of science: The “CSI effect” and the media appropriation of the public understanding of science

“…As another item says, "Contrary to what the public sees on shows like CBS's hit drama 'CSI,' the unit's cases aren't solved by an attractive detective using some high-tech machine to discover a piece of hair a serial killer left in the sink" (P200). Huey (2010) has called "role confusion," conflating the occupational roles of detective and forensic analyst. In addition to conducting laboratory analyses, the protagonists of CSI and its spinoffs and imitators carry weapons, make arrests, pursue suspects, conduct interviews and interrogations, and interact with witnesses, suspects, and victims.…”