Crime Laboratory Internships

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Crime Laboratory Citizen Volunteer and Internship Program

Volunteering with the San Diego Sheriff's Regional Crime Laboratory is designed to provide an opportunity that will enhance a person's educational or career development while directly benefiting the functions of the Crime Laboratory.

Being a citizen volunteer is a non-paid position and will require a minimum number of hours of work per week. The time commitment will depend on the requirements of the project and area of the Crime Laboratory where work will commence. Applicants will need to pass a full background investigation and a truth verification interview.

Please check for updates as information is subject to change.

Applications for the Latent Print Development program will not be accepted unless indicated on the website.

Applications for the General Crime Laboratory program will be accepted on a continuous basis. Applications will be kept for one year. Should a project become available, candidates will be selected from the current available applications.

Latent Print Development

CLOSED

Latent Print Development interns will undergo extensive training in the many procedures for the development of latent prints on various surfaces. They will also be competency tested to demonstrate their understanding of the latent print development section and its workflow. They will also be trained in writing reports related to the processing of evidence items for latent prints. If interested, interns will have an opportunity to attend crime scenes to observe the processing and documenting of crime scenes by laboratory personnel. Crime scene response is not a requirement of the latent print development internship. Interns will develop and collect latent prints from evidence that has been obtained in the course of a criminal investigation, document their activities and write reports.

Interested candidates must have completed a 2-year degree in a criminal justice program with semester courses in fingerprints and forensic photography; or be within two semesters of graduation. The latent print internship program is a commitment of a minimum of six months where the candidates are expected to work a minimum of sixteen hours per week. The position is non-paid.

If interested in the Latent Print Development internship, please submit the General Application and a transcript to Adam.Houg@sdsheriff.org or mail to:

San Diego Sheriff’s Crime Lab
Attn: Adam Houg
5590 Overland Ave
San Diego, CA 92123

If you have any questions regarding the Latent Print Development internship, email Adam.Houg@sdsheriff.org.

General Crime Laboratory Projects

Open – Continuously Accepting Applications
Applications will be kept for one year from submission.

The General Crime Laboratory volunteer position is intended to cover all projects that may become available across all disciplines, minus Latent Print Development (see below). Projects cannot be guaranteed to open during the year an application is active.

Projects may become available in Biology / DNA**, Controlled Substances, Crime Scene Investigation (non-field calls), Criminal Justice, Firearms, Forensic Alcohol or Toxicology, Trace or Chemistry, Quality Assurance, and Questioned Documents.

Laboratory-based projects or casework observation cannot be guaranteed. Projects may include, but not limited to, filing, scanning, data collection, entry, and manipulation, inventory, evidence collection kit preparation, solution preparation, instrument maintenance, or laboratory analysis for method validation.

All volunteer positions are non-paid. Interested candidates must have completed a minimum of two years towards a bachelor's degree.

**Interested candidates for the Biology / DNA position must be enrolled in or completed the third year of a four-year bachelor's degree program in the area of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or related field. This should include, at a minimum, the completion of courses in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Statistics.

To apply, download the application and submit the completed application, resume, and transcripts to Ashlie Robinson.

Crime Lab Internship Application

If you have any questions regarding this program, please send an email to Ashlie Robinson.