Forensics students check the evidence

By Frances Ruth Harris
CHESTER — Chester Academy students are on the case.

The young forensics scientists-in-training are learning to collect, preserve, and analyze evidence from crimes.

Principal Denis Petrilak introduced the students and their teacher, Julianne Tamucci, to the school board at their meeting Wednesday night. Each board member and administrator, guided by the students, took and processed their own fingerprints, one type of evidence that may be collected at a crime scene during an investigation.

The students demonstrated various collection techniques and showed how to preserve evidence, stressing the importance of the chain of custody — tracking the evidence at every stage.

They also showed board members how to tell counterfeit money from real money. So if you're thinking of printing up some money to pay your school taxes, you might want to rethink your plan.