A CSI Immersion

Growing up watching everything from Star Trek to Buck Rogers, and Dallas to 90210.  Shows grounded into some reality that the kids in my neighbourhood  can actually identify with, as a possible  career choice would be Cops, Reporters, and Doctor Shows.

We did the class trip to the local fire station and police station, which was a definite highlight and help shaped our decision making into the field of study;  In which we would eventually pursue.  My best friend wanted to be an architect like Mr. Brady in the Brady Bunch, but found his niche in civil engineering.

Myself , I was mesmerized by the medium of entertainment.  I also never really let go of the under lying desire to become a detective or cop; The reality of actual law enforcement  is nothing close to television, its terrifying with variations of situations resulting in angry, violent or just emotional people who can be unpredictable and the outcome as it occurs could be on going, and once you arrive you are liable and responsible for the order and the balance of things to occur. 

Which brings me to role playing and videogames, besides the obvious disconnect, it is safe, and arguably harmless endeavour, but an incredibly great way to live vicariously through something.  When I play first person shooter games or simulated racing , it’s an adrenaline rush, as well as a great way to be a distraction, and let loose after a hard day at work.  It’s something to do with friends or alone, and gets you in headspace that in some ways can be therapeutic if one needs an outlet for self-expression or a means to release pent up aggression, by laying it out on a battlefield.  It works the mind to strategize and problem solve, and the newer games are coming out with better A.I.  so applying different approaches  will be required so it continues to be challenging and engaging.  Which in a very long roundabout way brings me to the world of CSI.  Just only one example such an immersion. 

My family watched shows like Trapper John M.D., Quincy, and Law & Order; But it was CSI, that used cutting edge technology, with real Criminal situation storylines. That allowed you to learn and follow through the process of the solving the case of the week,  Unlike the amazingly solved ending like Colombo, Monk, and Perry Mason.  CSI demonstrates that if we look carefully and organize our thoughts we can solve the crime.

It’s a successful franchise; the show went from Vegas, to New York, and recently defunct Miami. The Las Vegas team created 8 videogames based on the show, Miami had 2, and New York 1. and bunch of interactive games have been developed for the PC world, board games  and role playing games.

I owned CSI: Crime Scene Investigations on the original Xbox, and Hard evidence on the Xbox360,  some of my friends continue to place Crime City as a game found on Facebook.

While vacationing in Orlando I discovered CSI Exhibit,  An amazing CSI Experience,  you start off in a briefing room where you meet actual forensic experts and some retired Law Enforcement officials and they walk you through the set up.

and you get a briefing all along the way with videos from the cast members. you solve 3 cases, and enter 3 different crime scenes and take notes and careful observations of the crime scene. You learn and actually use  labs to examine bullet casings, matching DNA to potential suspects, identify the source of a single hair strand,  get a casting of a foot print as you complete the investigation process.  There are cool special effects and  a real deep hands on-experience. 

In Toronto,  Humber College still offers a summer camp for kids in Crime Scene investigation. 
 
During the School year,  if you have Police Foundations Diploma, Humber College offers a 2 semester - Protection, Security,and Investigation: Crime Scene Investigation Diploma, Utilizing a recently designed state of the art facility to implore the latest investigative techniques in this field of study.