Templeton spoke with WNIN’s Tim Jagielo about her job, and her recent award of ISP ‘Forensic Scientist of the Year.'
Mitzi Templeton
As a firearms examiner, I'm responsible for examining and analyzing all the firearms related evidence brought to us from fire or from agencies, such as police agencies and the court of law. This includes bullets, cartridge cases that are left at the scene, as well as the firearms themselves.
Tim Jagielo
And I know there's a whole lot to the job that you don't have time to even talk about, but can you briefly walk me through the way a case might work then what your steps might be?
MT
When I receive evidence, for instance, if I receive a firearm, and there's a comparison to a cartridge case recovered from the same (firearm), I will take that firearm and I examine it for functionality.
So this means 'do the safeties work?' 'Does the firearm fire one bullet at a time? Or is it full auto fully automatic?'
I'll make sure there aren't any alterations to that, and take it through a battery of tests to make sure that that firearm functions as the manufacturer has designed it. Once I'm comfortable with that part of the analysis, I will then actually test fire the firearm myself.
I will recover those test fires. I can pull those out of the water tank and recover the cartridge cases. And I will use those then to compare back to the evidence that was submitted with it. So for instance, if a cartridge case had been submitted, I will compare the testifiers back to the cartridge case that was submitted.
TJ
And go ahead and tell you about your award and how you felt when you knew you'd be getting it.
MT
The forensic scientist of the year is a war we've had for few years. Now. And this is the first time I've received it. And I felt very honored to receive this award. It's kind of a coveted award because we have so many examiners and all of the disciplines across the state. And I was very grateful to receive it. I definitely work with some amazing people across the state and to be considered among them was just mind blowing. For me, this is definitely an honor.
TJ
What efforts and skills helped you to earn this recognition?
MT
A lot of this had to do with my ability to produce more cases than than average, especially for myself, as well as my, what we call ‘ancillary duties.’ So to be a good examiner, whether it's a firearms examiner, DNA analyst, drug examiner, any of those, you have to be more than than just the job.
So I'm the type of person where if somebody needs help in anything, whether it be your computer's not booting for the morning, or there's paperwork missing, and somebody needs help finding that, I'm always willing to do that. And I think that was kind of the big aspect there. So not only am I producing the casework that is needed to do this job. But I'm also more than willing to step in where and where help is needed, just to keep this place running smoothly. And I think that had more of an aspect to it than anything.
TJ
It seems like it's a kind of job that's full of minutiae, in details. Are there aspects of your personality that make you good at this?
MT
I'm very detail oriented. And I have what could be a good eye for comparisons. So in order to recognize, when two bullets or two cartridge cases have been fired from the same firearm, we look at a comparison microscope, and we're looking for those fine details that are reproduced from the firearm. That is something that (they) really can't teach you; you almost have to be kind of born with that innate ability.
And the fact that I was gifted with that is definitely a bonus for this job. Seeing those comparisons, and being able to do those is something that is extremely important for this job.
TJ
Is there anything about your job that you have to leave out, when you talk about your job to other people?
MT
There are certainly times when people ask me about cases, and if I've examined them, if you know what the results were, I cannot release those results until they've gone through the court of law. So I definitely have to be careful, you know, if it's the case I've examined and I know they're talking about a shooting that went on here and everybody's talking about it, I definitely have to watch my words, because I can only talk about what's been in the news.
TJ
What might surprise people about what you do?
MT
Probably the biggest thing is that — and most people are learning this now — but it's not like 'CSI.' I do not do anything beyond firearms identification and trauma. So I do not analyze for DNA; I do not take DNA swabs. I don't analyze for fingerprints, anything like that. when a case comes to me, most of the other examinations have already been done. And I know next to nothing about that case, I'm literally just given the evidence, without any information about the case itself. And all I do is then examine it for the firearms aspect of
TJ
What is the climate like for women in your field right now?
MT
I would say statewide, we have more female firearms examiners than males. So right now, from a female aspect of it, it's it's not a hindrance at all. Now, we don't get hired because we're females, but it's definitely you're not going to be looked away because you are female.
TJ
What would you say to someone thinking about joining As a career entering such a career?
MT
I would say it's a very rewarding position to have. I've made more friends and feel like I've benefited my community through this position more than any other position I've ever held.
It's an amazing job to have. You meet people from all over the world. You work with your local agencies, local law enforcement agencies, constantly working toward a better good trying to solve crimes, presenting that information to the court. I would say anybody interested in this career definitely needs to really look into it. I mean, there's, there's no reason anybody can't do this. It's a, it's an amazing job to have.
TJ
You're from Evansville, how has being from Evansville influenced you in your job at all?
MT
Being from Evansville probably makes this job even more important, because I realize that I'm working towards making my community a better area. I grew up in this area, and I know kind of the ins and outs, so working with the local law enforcement is a lot easier for me. I feel like there's a little bit more of a tie when I understand the areas they are talking about. And I can realize when I'm working these cases that I'm helping not only where I live now, but where my family lives and where I grew up.