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Police Week Profile: Forensic Identification officer Shannon Green

Finding 'puzzle pieces' and helping solve crime
Shannon 2
Const. Shannon Green is with the Barrie Police Forensic Identification Unit. Sue Sgambati/BarrieToday

From fingerprinting at routine break ins to processing gruesome murder scenes, Const. Shannon Green keeps her phone charged in order to take the call for the next crime. 

The 18-year veteran is a Forensic Identification Officer with Barrie Police, fulfilling a long-time goal with the challenging work. 

"I truly believe getting years of experience before coming into this. You're looking at crime scenes from a different area. You're coming in after the fact and you're putting in puzzle pieces and support for the full investigation," said Green. 

Green was an auxiliary officer with Barrie Police for five years and worked with Corrections before being hired in Toronto.

After two years, she moved back to police in her hometown.

Green is an Eastview Secondary School grad who then completed a two year graphic design program at Georgian College. 

"Now that I'm in forensics, drawing is a component of it," she said.  "When I go into certain scenes we have to do plan drawings and that's something I can do."

It's a full circle moment for the versatile cop who has almost done it all from front line policing, to the marine unit and the Emergency Support Unit.

She went to the Vancouver Olympics and the G20 in Toronto with the Public Order Unit and worked downtown for three years in a specialized team. 

But with forensic identification, this officer has found her niche since joining the unit two years ago. 

"Everything has to be done in an order to make sense. If we have other specialists coming in we have to allow time for them to do their work.  And then before we take the scene down we have to make sure the investigating officers from homicide are satisfied with what we've provided them," Green explained.

"The most recent homicides we've had, the double homicide this year, I was on the scene for I believe five to seven days and that's long hours. You're within that scene endless hours. Just getting all the information we can out of that one area takes time."

Green has her own way of coping with what she sees. 

"When you're coming into a situation like that, everything is done. Nothing else is going to happen. Nothing is going to change. So you're viewing it as, okay what can I do to help the deceased or the persons that require our forensics specialities - to make sure that they're looked after properly. That if people are charged, those charges stick and that we have all the evidence to uphold those charges," she said. 

"That's how I deal with it. I deal with it that I am now looking after these people and I'm doing everything I can to make sure they're properly looked after. That helps me. It gets me through to the next scene."

She's a homebody who enjoys nature and outdoor activities including mountain biking, running and ball hockey.

"I think that also helps with this job. It's an outlet," she said.

The job also gets her out of the office which Green likes and every day is different.

"I've been very lucky and at this point I am hopeful that this will bring me to my retirement date," Green said.  

"We get involved with so many different things it keeps you motivated and challenged. Learning opportunities throughout your career keep you sharp.  With my current position the learning opportunities are endless."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Sue Sgambati

About the Author: Sue Sgambati

Sue has had a 30-year career in journalism working for print, radio and TV. She is a proud member of the Barrie community.
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