PSO Celebrates Forensic Sciences Week

National Forensic Science Week recognizes the unique investigative skills forensic science provides to law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Pasco Sheriff’s Office is celebrating our Forensic Services Section for their dedication and the diverse skillset they provide. Forensic Services members’ job is to provide facts in each case they work to help solve crime and bring justice for victims and their families. They achieve this through an array of techniques from evidence collection in traditional settings, to finding ways to adapt to Pasco County’s unique landscape. 

No two calls are the same and PSO Forensics investigates cases ranging from petty theft to homicide. Forensic Services members are called to a variety of work conditions at any time of the day. No matter the scene, Forensics members are detail orientated and thorough in their work for every case. Investigators collect, catalog and identify evidence from every scene, knowing each item is a valuable piece of truth.

A trait Forensic Services members diligently uphold is integrity for the truth through evidence and documentation. Every member understands the value of their role and strives for perfection in their work, dedicated to the proper collection and preservation of evidence. PSO Forensic Services Section uses many forms of forensic sciences, including:

• Crime scene documentation and reconstruction
• Specialized photography
• Latent print processing and development
• Latent print comparison and identification
• DNA collection
• Blood pattern analysis

Prompt access to areas that would otherwise be difficult to get to allows Forensic Investigators to examine scenes as well as gather and preserve evidence in an expedited manner. Forensic Services achieves this in many different ways. Forensic Investigator Gloria Lin is an FAA licensed remote pilot and is a member of PSO’s Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (or drone) team. Lin is trained in tactical drone operations and assists with critical calls for service, such as missing person investigations or particularly large outdoor crime scenes. Forensic Investigator Sarah Mormino is a diver on PSO’s Swift Water/Underwater Recovery team. As part of this team, Mormino assists with the recovery of evidence, stolen property and drowning victims. When it comes to finding human remains, PSO is one of the few law enforcement agencies in Florida to have human remains detections K-9s on its roster. Additionally, PSO is one of the only agencies in the United States to pair this unique K-9 with a trained forensic investigator, ensuring that the K-9’s finds are preserved by experienced and trained hands quickly. In these instances, having a member of the team with an eye for forensics can be a critical component in evidence recovery and preservation. Though these are just a few of the specialties PSO’s forensics investigators have, they all offer a unique interest or passion to their work, from having a particular interest in insects to the ability to read blood spatter patterns. Additionally, the work of these investigators help bring closure to victims and their families and often tie together facts of cases through evidence.

PSO’s Forensic Services Section performs work each day that is thorough, professional and done strictly with a goal of finding truth through evidence. This unit often goes above and beyond for their cases, from the Latent Print unit coming in after hours to identify a body to assisting with investigations for other agencies. This unit allows science to find the truth and answer questions about the case. Forensic Science helps PSO solve crimes in our community, and we’re proud to have a diverse set of skills in our agency to bring closure to victims and their families this National Forensic Sciences Week.