Posted: 7/12/2011 11:16:23 AM EDT
| It occurred to me that this would be a good position given my mindset and skill sets, but I'm having a devil of a time finding consistent info on education/experience requirements, typical pay, etc... What can you guys tell me about it? |
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This website seems to have the closest info to a "consensus" of what I've yet found. Does it sound accurate? How often do agencies hire Forensic Firearms /Toolmark Examiners? Call one of the MSP Labs and ask. Not going to be too many agencies in Michigan ( I can tell you that in Washtenaw County there are none) that have there own inhouse Firearms Forensic guys as most agencies in Michigan do not have there own in house labs anymore (hell DPD uses MSP Northville lab for everything since their lab was closed). Maybe Grandrapids PD and Lansing PD have their own labs, but you are gonna be pretty much stuck with MSP for this kind of stuff (and they maybe have 20 guys state wide that do it?). I think that most of MSP's guys that do this are also cross trained in EOD and do lab work when they are not on call outs/training. I also belive that they train you how they want to vs someone coming in fully trained and getting hired by them (unless they are coming from another department). IM me if you want the Northville Labs TX number. Hope this helps J- |
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Thanks for the info. I had a feeling that MSP would be the only one in MI. I interviewed to take my buddies position in the Lansing lab last year (Equipment Tech, not an Examiner), and they had mentioned that they do pretty much ALL of the lab work for the entire state.
It makes sense that it would be combined with other tasks, considering that it's not likely a position that would be piled with a backlog of work. Well, who knows... I'm probably going to be re-interviewing for the same position in the Lansing post this fall (providing they have enough budget to fill the position  ), so maybe if I get it, I can start trying to weasel my way into an Firearms Examiner spot. 
When I interviewed the first time, I got to take a tour of the lab, which included a walk by of the confiscated weapons storage room. They had piles of Uzis, AKs, a 1919, and even a french Chauchat! 
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