CSI-TV gets a reality check

Every week millions of viewers tune in to CSI to get their forensic science fix. The Emmy Award-winning series -- with shows based in Las Vegas, Miami and New York -- follow forensic teams as they piece together heinous crime scenes. While the CSI franchise is a ratings hit, it's won few fans among the forensic science community. Joanne Wendell, a real-life crime scene investigator with the Vancouver police department, says you shouldn't always believe what you see on TV.

Here are six myths to help you decipher CSI fiction from fact.

Myth: A case can be solved in under an hour.
Reality: Television shows compress events. "Nothing's ever solved in an hour," says Wendell. "I've spent hours crawling around on my hands and knees collecting hair and fibres. You can spend days or even weeks at a scene."

And once Wendell's finished collecting the clues, she has mounds of paperwork to sift through. "There's twice as much work back at the office."

Myth: Laboratory technicians examine evidence as soon as it arrives.
Reality: The lab might not inspect evidence for several months. "The lab is always running at full capacity and is extremely busy," says Wendell. "They prioritize everything depending on the nature of the crime." Meaning evidence from a homicide takes precedence over a break-and-enter case and is examined first. However, it usually takes six weeks -- not 60 minutes -- to receive DNA test results.

Myth: Forensic officers can wear whatever they want to a crime scene.
Reality: There's a definite dress code and it depends on where you work. "In Vancouver we wear our police uniforms, but in Toronto they wear business suits," says Wendell.

Sometimes, when the crime scene warrants it, Wendell wears a "white bunny suit" to prevent contamination. The technical term is "crime scene suit," but forensic officers often refer to them as bunny suits because they're white and they cover the officers from head to toe. "Sometimes I wear a crime suit even if I don't have to because it's [the crime scene] so disgusting. There's no way I would get into my car with the clothes I've worn all day."