criminal videos

A police officer's day can be filled with unexpected situations. Police and detective supervisors help officers decide how to handle varied and changing situations, while organizing the resources to do it. Supervisors -- such as sergeants, lieutenants and police chiefs -- oversee the activities of the rest of the force. Police and detective supervisors set schedules and offer guidance and expertise to investigators view more

Coroners are medical detectives. They work with other investigators to find the cause of deaths that are accidental, violent, or unexplained. The coroner is a public official who may be appointed or elected. When a coroner is also a physician, he or she is called a medical examiner. The coroner may visit the scene of the death and confer with law enforcement and public health officials view more

Correctional officers serve on the front line of the criminal justice system. They are the men and women responsible for guarding people who have been arrested or who have been convicted of a crime and sentenced to serve time in jail. Duties include searching prisoners and their cells for weapons, drugs, and other forbidden items, supervising inmate activities, and maintaining good order, even if it means breaking up fights between prisoners view more

In the United States, when a person is convicted of a crime, and sentenced to serve time behind bars, the system doesn’t lock the door to the felon’s future. Even while in prison, an inmate has an advocate. That person is called a Correctional Treatment Specialist. Correctional Treatment Specialists interview prison inmates, and make recommendations for rehabilitation, parole and release plans view more

At the nation’s borders, and within, Customs Inspectors enforce laws about who and what can come into, and leave the United States. Customs inspectors work for the federal government as part of the U.S. Customs Service. Their job is to inspect cargo, baggage, and articles worn or carried by people, boats, trains, and planes entering or leaving the country. They search for illegal substances, such as drugs, and make sure laws governing imports and exports are observed view more

Emergency medical technicians or “EMTs” (pronounced:”e-em-tees”) are the men and women who are usually first on the scene when there is a heart attack victim, a near-drowning, automobile accident injuries, gunshot wounds, or anything else requiring immediate medical attention. Working in two-person teams, EMTs drive their ambulances or rescue squad vehicles to the scene, assess the situation, and execute the appropriate procedures view more

“The cause of the blaze is under investigation.” By the time you hear that phrase in a news story about a fire, a special kind of detective has already been hard at work trying to crack the case. Where we see burnt rubble, a fire investigator sees clues. Often before the smoke clears, this investigator is at the scene collecting and documenting evidence to determine the cause of the fire. This can involve carefully sifting through debris with specialized equipment and running lab tests on it view more

Movies and TV can make private investigative or detective work look pretty glamorous -- but the modern PI is more a researcher than an action hero. Most often, licensed private investigators or detectives round up facts, not felons. Some investigators conduct private inquiries for clients, looking for missing persons or proof of infidelity. But far more people in this field work for stores, hotels, large agencies, or security and risk management companies view more

Whether investigating a murder or burglary, giving first aid, stopping a fight, or simply patrolling an area to prevent crime, few people are more vital to everyone’s safety and well being than police officers and detectives. “Patrol-car” police, however, are only part of the story. Some officers work behind the scenes as experts in fire-arms identification, handwriting and fingerprints, or microscopic analysis view more

A/V: NARRATOR (VO): Any position in law enforcement is filled with daily challenges. But the job of sheriffs differs from other law-enforcement officials in that their jurisdiction is usually limited to a single county. And, unlike commissioners and chiefs of police, sheriffs are usually elected by popular vote. Sheriffs and their deputies are involved in a wide range of law enforcement activities within their jurisdiction —everything from issuing traffic tickets to conducting murder investigations view more