Letters to editor - Keep Civilian CSI Unit

Re "Budget knife aims at CSI unit" (Our Region, May 28): So the Sacramento Police Department is looking to replace its civilian crime scene investigators with sworn officers. As a former Nevada sheriff's detective trained as a crime scene investigator, I found the arguments to replace trained crime-scene investigators with sworn officers to be shortsighted.
First, officers would be required to undergo about 120 hours of training, which would equate to about 1,200 hours of training for 10 officers, which is very costly, especially since there are highly trained CSI investigators already performing these tasks.
Second, officers who are actively working a crime scene cannot leave to perform other duties since evidence is frequently perishable and the integrity of the crime scene needs to be protected at all times. If a crime scene is abandoned, it loses its ability to produce evidence acceptable to the courts.
It is my belief that assigning sworn officers to non-enforcement duties such as crime scene investigation is a misuse of talent and resources. I strongly encourage the city to look for other options.
– James E. Kuthy, Cameron Park