KINGSTON, Jamaica — Four crime scene examiners at the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) have been certified by the International Association for Identification (IAI) as crime scene analysts.

This brings the total to eight such trained employees at INDECOM and nine in Jamaica.

The commission said Tanesha Fagan, Le-Antonio Stephenson, Alex Cummings and Clayton Brown, completed their professional certification examinations in September and were recently notified and awarded certificates confirming their success.

In 2017, five other members of INDECOM’s Crime Scene Unit successfully completed their certification, four of whom are still employed with the commission.

INDECOM noted that forensics is an evolving science and is a critical component of the incidents it investigates.

International training and certification will bolster the individual confidence of the examiners and our stakeholders that we serve, as the analysts can provide enhanced analysis and expert testimony for court cases, it added.

The IAI Crime Scene Analyst certification is valid for five years.

The first cohort of analysts will begin preparations for the next stage of their certifications, IAI Senior Crime Scene Analysts, in the new year.

The commission also disclosed that the Crime Scene Unit is being trained in shooting reconstruction and microscopy.

The International Association for Identification is a professional membership organisation, based in USA, comprised of individuals worldwide who work in the field of forensic identification. The IAI remains the oldest and largest forensic science/identification association in the world.