Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

1-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Tina Jaeckle

Keywords

Crime Scene Investigators; Forensic Investigators; Organizational Stress; Organizational Structure

Abstract

Law enforcement agencies worldwide have continued to employ civilian members to assist with the administrative and investigative aspects of their functions. On average, civilian members account for 30% of law enforcement personnel and can have roles that include human resources, victim advocacy, dispatch, and forensic investigators (Rockefeller-Ramsey, 2023). Despite the rise in their numbers, these crucial members go nearly unrecognized in the literature. When explicitly addressing crime scene or forensic personnel, they tend to blur the boundaries between sworn and civilian due to their requirements of being a field response unit exposed to several adverse events. This generic qualitative study aimed to understand the perceived organizational stressors of civilian forensic investigators derived from law enforcement structure. Results provided an insight into the experiences and stress of civilian forensic investigators in Florida based on their organization’s structure. In terms of organizational factors, experiences consisted of their role often being neglected, unacknowledged, and disrespected by their organization. Challenges due to differing knowledge and roles cause tension between units, resulting in stress when completing investigations. This study provides personal experiences from those within the field as a way to provide insight into how organizations can better support all employees.

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