I am contemplating (finally) taking the latent certification. In order to attempt this, I need some ammunition to justify the effort and expense to the Powers That BE.
I'm looking for reasons to sell the idea of certification to those on high, other than saying it's a good thing or another rock in the box for testimony purposes.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Thanks!
Certification Justification
-
Yeti
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:08 am
- Location: Hillsboro, OR
Certification Justification
Jim Clark
-
Pat A. Wertheim
- Posts: 872
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2005 6:48 am
- Location: Fort Worth, Texas
IAI latent print examiner certification
In some court jurisdictions in the US, status as a "Certified Latent Print Examiner" (CLPE) is critical. In others, it is unimportant to the judge but still might carry a little weight with some of the jurors. I do not think there is anyplace where it is meaningless in court. (Perhaps readers in some of the States encouraging or requiring certification will tell us about those situations.)
Some police agencies require certification, some prefer it, some ignore it, and believe it or not, some discourage it. But if you check the job openings and their salaries, as well as the respect the people working in those jobs have from coworkers and the courts, you will find in general that the higher paying, higher respect jobs seek certified examiners and support the certification program. I might also point out that most of us switch employers several times during our career. When looking for another job, would you be a more attractive candidate with certification or without it?
But let's say your job does not require or reward certification, your courts accept you as you are and there would be no tangible benefit for you as a witness in court, you are happy in your current job and expect to never leave it except for retirement, your department does not pay the cost of applying, and you have higher priorities for your disposable income, then maybe certification is not for you.
That said, however, the question of whether to seek certification boils down to one thing -- professionalism. If you are a serious fingerprint examiner in this line of work for a career, certification should be on your agenda whether your department pays the cost or not. If you decide to go for it, email me personally for some ideas and suggestions.
Pat A. Wertheim
foridents@aol.com
Some police agencies require certification, some prefer it, some ignore it, and believe it or not, some discourage it. But if you check the job openings and their salaries, as well as the respect the people working in those jobs have from coworkers and the courts, you will find in general that the higher paying, higher respect jobs seek certified examiners and support the certification program. I might also point out that most of us switch employers several times during our career. When looking for another job, would you be a more attractive candidate with certification or without it?
But let's say your job does not require or reward certification, your courts accept you as you are and there would be no tangible benefit for you as a witness in court, you are happy in your current job and expect to never leave it except for retirement, your department does not pay the cost of applying, and you have higher priorities for your disposable income, then maybe certification is not for you.
That said, however, the question of whether to seek certification boils down to one thing -- professionalism. If you are a serious fingerprint examiner in this line of work for a career, certification should be on your agenda whether your department pays the cost or not. If you decide to go for it, email me personally for some ideas and suggestions.
Pat A. Wertheim
foridents@aol.com