Transcript
Nicole Pustizzi
Mr. Brickler
ENC 2135
24 January 2017
Crime Fiction
I walk this Earth today as a white female with a kind heart, high aspirations for my future, and a hope of becoming either a Federal Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigations or a crime scene investigator upon receiving my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Florida State University. My father is the Chief of Police of my hometown as well as a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and my brothers are both cops for the cities they reside in. It is no shock that it would be my interest to further carry on the family tradition of being involved with law enforcement as well.
Crime fiction is a genre that portrays criminal cases involving criminals, courts, investigation and mystery. As the daughter of the Chief of Police in the city I grew up in, I have been exposed to areas of crime that others may not even know exist. My dad always told me, “If you aspire to be a crime scene investigator due to what you see in these shows, it may be a rude awakening as you enter the field and discover the reality of the job.” He said this with no intention of bashing the career but rather as a wake-up call for me. The media portrays one thing while the suspect, victim, and cop in pursuit of the suspect, all comprise their own perspective on the preceding event. I have heard countless stories from the side of the cop due to my dad’s position in the department. Due to my interest in the field I have developed an interest in various crime scene investigation shows, such as two of my favorite, Criminal Minds and Quantico. Also, due to my interest in the field and the extensive research I have conducted and feedback I have heard from my family members in the field, I have been made aware of the vast discrepancies between crime fiction television shows and reality.
Initially, it was difficult to face the reality of crime scene investigating and understand that I would not be the real-life Penelope Garcia, Jennifer Jareau or Alex Parrish. Although, I soon realized regardless of what the media displayed I still had a raging desire to become my own realistic version of the three women who have inspired me my entire life. Thus, leading me to become determined, courageous and persistent as my role models were themselves.
Quantico is a show based off of the Federal Bureau of Investigations training and careers thereafter. My dad and I routinely watched the series together, thriving off of the drama and suspense. Due to my dad’s involvement in the Federal Bureau of Investigations he had previously briefed me on the reality of the Bureau. The scenes depicting the look of the facility from the inside are ones completely void of reality. One similarity that stuck out among the differences was the similar class rooms in which classes were taught by agents and supervisors teaching similar curriculum. However; a fair share of the training activities, in which the trainees played an agent, were not real activities in which real life trainees partake in. Tests such as the one in which the trainees were split into teams, put on a plane going out of the country, and told to find a way back into the country without a passport, would have never occurred in real FBI training. This type of test could lead to major issues such as, leaving a trainee trapped in a country elsewhere.
In a show, such as Criminal Minds, there are far more discrepancies and few similarities between crime solving depicted in the show and in real life. The timelines shown in crime fiction rarely match up with reality. On one hand, the time it takes to test fingerprints are typically accurate, however; in the real-world it would take months rather than seconds to test DNA and compare it to another strand of DNA, testing for a match. Rarely ever do investigators receive information back the same day as they send it in for further investigation.
Also, these shows always show an abundance of evidence found on the spot or within a day or two. A realistic crime scene is not usually solved for a few weeks at least. It can take even longer due to an absence of physical and forensic evidence which occurs more often than not. The equipment used in crime fiction is typically far more advanced than today’s technology actually permits. The three-dimensional graphics and high definition screening along with the digital boards that allow for a quick swipe, switching the display are all fictional. These technological advancements have not yet been made nor introduced to crime analytics.
The use of cameras as a tell-all device in crime fiction do not accurately depict how cameras function world-wide. Only in concentrated areas such as New York will there be a chance of there being a camera on every street corner that can piece together the suspects every move. In the other ninety-nine percent of the world, cameras are not placed on every street corner or even every few blocks. This means cameras will not all link together to tell a story. Also, if the cameras do exist on street corners or inside stores, quick easy access to the film is not usually feasible. Typically, a supervisor of the store has to come unlock the film in order to hand it over to investigators.
Due to the fact that crime fiction usually speeds up the processes of real life investigations, cross referencing and coding carried out by computer forensic analysts are usually altered in a way to fit the time limit the show has for its episode that week. This leads viewers to believe that cross-referencing characteristics given by a profiler and the process of decoding data takes a few seconds, while in reality it takes closer to a few hours in order to develop valid results. The one investigator that is accurately illustrated are profilers. Based on their level of skill in the field they can create a profile for a suspect or anyone in as little as a few seconds.
Crime fiction series on television are geared towards a broad audience. These people may enjoy the element of surprise, the feeling of suspense and solving mysteries. They may also be primarily interested in pursuing a career in criminal studies or they may even be current agents who enjoy watching it for entertainment or to compare it to the real world, as my dad does. For people who watch the shows as a source of entertainment the shows reach their audience perfectly. However, for people who watch them in hopes of becoming one of the characters in the future, they may fall under false pretenses leading to issues further down the line in schooling and training, and thus, during their career.
Crime fiction is a genre I have become increasingly familiar with. My relationship with the law enforcement community due to my family’s involvement and my aspirations in life have made me more aware of the discrepancies between crime fiction and the reality of crime. The lack of accurate depictions are far more evident in recent shows as technological advancements have been made to the film world. Timelines, scenery and equipment are all elements that crime fiction has been faulty in accurately interpreting. Crime fiction depicts only a small fraction of realistic crime. With all of these factors taken into account my plan to carry out my dream of becoming either a federal agent or a crime scene investigator is still in full throttle. Having been made aware of these discrepancies early on I have been able to understand the reality of the careers and have learned to love them even more.
Word Count:1299
