Television crime shows aren’t reality TV  Photo courtesy of CBS
©2012 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved.  Television
dramas like CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation have brought
attention to DNA analysis, but Tim Kupferschmid, executive
director of Sorenson Forensics, frequently finds himself
correcting misinformation about his work. He calls the
disconnect the “CSI effect.” Kupferschmid’s list of the top TV
myths:  Myth: Crime scene investigators (CSIs) and forensic lab
scientists are one and the same.           Fact: They belong to
separate professions and rarely, if ever, cross paths. CSIs are
usually police officers without a science degree. Forensic
scientists have advanced training in biology, chemistry and
forensic science. CSIs collects evidence at the scene, which
forensic scientists analyze in the lab.  Myth: Forensic
scientists visit crime scenes and join police raids.           
           Fact: They rarely leave the lab, ruling out
emotionally charged subplots and exciting shoot outs.