Identification Section

Forensic Investigator

Crime Scene Specialist is a great career!

See the City of Tucson Crime Scene Specialist Job Description for more info, and sign up to be notified when a position opens.

Minimum requirements

  • 18 years of age
  • Associate's Degree
  • Photography experience is a plus
  • No felony conviction

Email Forensics@tucsonaz.gov to ask about setting up a ride-along with CSU (subject to passing a background check).

What we do

The ID Section is responsible for arrest fingerprint processing and forensic crime scene investigation. It supports Arizona's AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) and mugshot system. ID Section personnel teach at SALETC (Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center) and handle most public relations photography for the department. Staff and volunteers fingerprint around 6,000 people a year for identification, job requirements, licensing, and teaching certificates.

Crime Scene Unit

CSU handles serious, complex crime scenes and consists of six squads, with a total authorized strength of 12 Crime Scene Specialists and 6 Crime Scene Specialist Supervisors. Two Specialists are trained to create composite sketches. Others are trained to document crime scenes with drones and laser scanner technology.

CSU responds to and photographs approximately 3,500 crime scenes each year, collecting and processing latent fingerprints and other forensic evidence. It also fingerprints around 2,000 arrestees a year.

AFIS Unit

The AFIS Unit processes all arrests made by the department, with a total authorized strength of 6 AFIS Technicians and 1 Supervisor. They match arrestees' fingerprints to records on file and enter fingerprints into AFIS.

They make sure that arrest charges and codes are correct. Once a person's identity is confirmed, arrest information is sent to the department's Records Management System, the state mugshot system, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The AFIS Unit processes over 18,000 arrest records each year.

Contact us

Email us at Forensics@tucsonaz.gov
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Photo gallery

TPD Fingerprinting
Fingerprints

TPD dna
DNA

Tire track analysis
Crime Scene Photography

Evidence photography
Evidence Photography

Tire tread dusting
Tire Tread Forensics

Trace analysis
Trace Evidence

Contact Us

Emergency: 911

Non-emergency: 520-791-4444

88-CRIME (website)

88-CRIME (520-882-7463)
520-882-7463

Human Resources/Recruiting

520-791-COPS (2677) (2677)
recruit1@tucsonaz.gov