Forensic science, the application of the methods of the natural and physical sciences to matters of

criminal and civil law. Forensic science can be involved not only in investigation and prosecution of
crimes such as rape, murder, and drug trafficking but also in matters in which a crime has not been
committed but in which someone is charged with a civil wrong (see tort), such as willful pollution of air
or water or causing industrial injuries.

Law enforcement describes the individuals and agencies responsible for enforcing laws and maintaining
public order and public safety. Law enforcement includes the prevention, detection, and investigation of
crime, and the apprehension and detention of individuals suspected of law violation.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics' Law Enforcement Unit maintains more than a dozen national data
collections, covering federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and special topics in law
enforcement. Most data collections are conducted every 2 to 4 years and focus on aggregate or agency-
level responses, meaning the information that is collected pertains to units, such as police departments,
training academies, and crime labs. The data from law enforcement agencies provide national estimates
for personnel, equipment, operations, agency policies, budgets, and job functions across agencies.

Criminal Investigation-- An investigation refers to the process of collecting information in order to reach
some goal; for example, collecting information about the reliability and performance of a vehicle prior to
purchase in order to enhance the likelihood of buying a good car. Applied to the criminal realm, a
criminal investigation refers to the process of collecting information (or evidence) about a crime in order
to: (1) determine if a crime has been committed; (2) identify the perpetrator; (3) apprehend the
perpetrator; and (4) provide evidence to support a conviction in court. If the first three objectives are
successfully attained, then the crime can be said to be solved. Several other outcomes such as
recovering stolen property, deterring individuals from engaging in criminal behaviors, and satisfying
crime victims have also been associated with the process.

A useful perspective on the criminal investigation process is provided by information theory (Willmer).
According to information theory, the criminal investigation process resembles a battle between the
police and the perpetrator over crime-related information. In committing the crime, the offender emits
"signals," or leaves behind information of various sorts (fingerprints, eyewitness descriptions, murder
weapon, etc.), which the police attempt to collect through investigative activities. If the perpetrator is
able to minimize the amount of information available for the police to collect, or if the police are unable
to recognize the information left behind, then the perpetrator will not be apprehended and therefore,
the perpetrator will win the battle. If the police are able to collect a significant number of signals from
the perpetrator, then the perpetrator will be identified and apprehended, and the police win. This
perspective clearly underscores the importance of information in a criminal investigation.

The major problem for the police in conducting a criminal investigation is that not only is there
potentially massive amounts of information available, but the relevance of the information is often
unknown, the information is often incomplete, and the information is often inaccurate. Further, to be
useful in proving guilt in court (where beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard), the evidence must
have certain other qualities, and certain rules and procedures must be followed in collecting the
evidence.