Crime scene reality

Television programming these days is filled with hour-long shows about high-tech crime solving. A generation of viewers is left with the impression that (a) every crime will be solved, (b) it only takes an hour and (c) those latex gloves are all you need to stay clean while sifting through the grime and blood of a crime scene.

Just as other generations learned about our justice system from shows featuring Perry Mason and the multiple casts of "Law and Order," today's youngsters are led to believe there are plenty of gadgets to find every possible clue.

But students at Scott City Middle School recently got a dose of reality that they won't get from the so-called reality shows on TV. They saw demonstrations by real-life crime scene investigators from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. They learned that going through a crime scene can take hours or even days, that it's a dirty and messy job and that it's often tough to get fingerprints and other information that will solve a crime.

With diligence and hard work, however, patrol investigators solve 85 percent of their cases, the students were told.

Despite the lessons in reality, some students say they would be interested in a career as a crime scene investigator. Good. Even if the TV shows always manage to put someone behind bars, the fact remains there will be plenty of crimes to solve when these students are adults.