CENTRAL ILLINOIS POLICE TRAINING CENTER
Brian Fengel, Director
Phone: (309) 690-7350
Fax: (309) 690-7359
Jean Swan: jswan@icc.edu
Heather Grove: hgrove@icc.edu
Photography for Death Scene Investigators
Instructor: Michael Kirby
April 6, 2023
8:30am – 4:30pm
Class will meet at: LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office, 707 E. Etna, Ottawa
Enrollment Deadline: March 31, 2023
Course Size: Minimum – 10 Maximum – 20
Course Objective
This one day, 8-hour course has been designed by expert practitioners from the field of evidence collection and crime scene processing for the purpose of providing individuals with the responsibility of investigating death scenes, with the skills, and knowledge needed to operate their department issued camera systems for the photographic documentation of a death scene and the scene evidence associated with it.
Course Content
This workshop is designed for the personnel assigned to investigate/ process death scenes and will provide them with the needed skills to operate their department issued camera equipment in this special environment. Upon completion of this workshop, attendees will have learned how to operate their cameras in normal and low light environments along with taking examination quality photographs of evidence.
By the end of this workshop, officers will be able to do the following:
- Will understand how depth of field affects crime scene photography.
- Will understand and be able to produce the three types of crime scene photographs, orientation, reference and identification.
- Be able to produce examination quality photographs of evidence.
- Understand the use of fill flash in outdoor crime scene photography.
- Will understand how to produce properly exposed photographs in a low light environment using timed espouser, painting with light and multi-flash techniques.
- Equipment Required by Attendees: Digital 35 mm SLR camera with lens, detachable flash unit, flash sync cord, tri-pod, flashlight, and a lap top computer. The attendee’s also need to have the proper cords to attach their camera to the lap top to download their photographs. Part of this class will be conducted outside so attendees must dress for the weather.
About the Instructor
Michael E. Kirby has been a police officer in Illinois for over 41 years, starting his career with the North Western Railroad Police in 1979 in the East St. Louis area. In 1986 he was hired by the Wheeling Police department where he worked until he retired as a sergeant in 2009. While at Wheeling he served as a patrol officer, tactical officer, school resource officer, detective and patrol sergeant. He also served for five years on the NIPAS EST team as an entry team leader. Other duties included nine years as a forensic supervisor for the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force and five years on a DCFS child death review team for Cook, Kane, DuPage, McHenry and Lake Counties.
Immediately after retiring from Wheeling, he was hired by the village of Inverness as a fulltime police officer. There his duties not only include police duties, he is also assigned to the MCAT Officer Involved Death Investigative Team, supervising the forensic unit.
Michael has been training police officer, school teachers and day care center employees in Child Abuse Awareness for over 25 years. Michael has been married for 33 years to Joellyn and has 4 adult children and four grandchildren.
Mobile In-Service Training Team # 7 Illinois Enforcement Training and Standards Board
