Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation Practice Test

The Hair/Fiber Unit primarily focuses on the analysis of biological and physical evidence that is related to hair and fibers. This includes the examination of fibers, which can be natural or synthetic, and can provide crucial links in criminal investigations due to their transfer and persistence patterns at crime scenes. Additionally, soil can also be analyzed since it can transport fibers and hairs and can indicate a suspect’s presence at a crime scene based on geographic location.

As for DNA, while it can be present in hair, its analysis is typically conducted by a separate unit specialized in biological evidence and forensic DNA profiling. The primary role of the Hair/Fiber Unit does not encompass the extensive methods used for DNA analysis, which require different techniques and technologies than those used for hair and fiber comparisons. Therefore, DNA is not classified as a type of evidence that the Hair/Fiber Unit would routinely analyze.