Michael Young, Scene Examiner
It was while studying photography and audio visual technology at college that Michael became interested in police photography and crime scene examination.
Deciding it was definitely the career path for him Michael’s persistence paid off when he got a job as a scene examiner with Strathclyde Police.
The role of a scene examiner is varied. They attend all types of crime scenes from house break-ins and fatal road traffic accidents, to murder inquiries and industrial accidents like the stock line plastics disaster.
Scene examiners are trained to search and recover evidence from crime scenes including fingerprints, blood, footwear marks, hairs and fibres. They carry out a meticulous search of the scene and will record evidence through the use of photography, video, and specialist pano photography.
As a scene examiner Michael also works alongside the police and other law enforcement agencies to support major incidents and is trained in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and to respond to chemical, biological, nuclear and radioactive alerts.
Michael has worked in Glasgow for 14 years and has attended many serious and unpleasant crime scenes. His highest profile case to date was the investigation of the murder of Angelika Kluk. However, Michael stresses that the role does not always involve dealing with the macabre.
When the Olympic torch made its way around Scotland last year, Michael was attached to a Police team to follow the torch. He was on hand in the event of any threat or serious crime occurring during the week long procession. It involved long hours and a significant time away from home but Michael describes it as a tremendous experience that he will never forget.
