Crime Scene Investigation Training

Upcoming courses

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CourseDateLocationRegisterTuitionFlyer
Crime Scene PhotographyMarch 30-April 3, 2026Kerrville, TexasEnroll Now
$650View Flyer
Crime Scene PhotographyApril 20-24, 2026Jersey Village, TexasEnroll Now
$650View Flyer
Crime Scene PhotographyJune 15-19, 2026New Braunfels, TexasEnroll Now
$650View Flyer
Bloodstain Pattern AnalysisAugust 3-7, 2026Jersey Village, TexasEnroll Now
$750View Flyer
Crime Scene PhotographyAugust 17-21, 2026Burnet, TexasEnroll Now
$650View Flyer

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"In my 25 year career in Law Enforcement, this is the best Blood Pattern course I have attended. I highly recommend this course. Great course and great instructor."
Margarita Strahan
Investigator - Aransas County Sheriff's Office

Offered crime scene courses

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Designed for investigators working violent and blood related scenes. This course covers BPA fundamentals through advanced applications using current techniques and terminology.

You will learn: identification, classification, and interpretation of bloodstain patterns; reconstructing events while remaining objective and methodical.

Format: lecture + hands-on practical exercises (animal blood).

Includes: instructor-written manual (200+ page) and approximately 15 practical exercises/subsets.

Credits:

  • Approved by the International Association for Identification (IAI)
  • Forty (40) credits toward the Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Certification
  • Forty (40) credits toward the Crime Scene Certification
  • This course may be eligible for TCOLE credit hours when reported in accordance with current TCOLE requirements. Attendees should confirm reporting procedures with the hosting agency or their agency training coordinator.
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
Blood falling into blood causing individual droplets at the tips to break apart - Pinnacle Forensics
Image of a camera and a detached camera flash adjacent to it.

Crime Scene Photography

This entry-level course teaches attendees to document crime scenes through photography and capture the sequence of required images. Each participant creates a digital photographic notebook to track progress in class.

Topics include:

  • Nighttime and low-light photography
  • Infrared and ultraviolet photography
  • Bloodstain pattern analysis documentation
  • Bullet trajectory (laser) photography
  • Documentation of officer-involved shootings

Format: hands-on instruction focused on camera control in challenging conditions, with practical exercises and associated subsets introduced throughout the course.

Credits:

  • Approved by the International Association for Identification (IAI)
  • Forty (40) credits toward the Forensic Photography & Imaging (FP&I) Certification
  • Forty (40) credits toward the Crime Scene Certification
  • This course may be eligible for TCOLE credit hours when reported in accordance with current TCOLE requirements. Attendees should confirm reporting procedures with the hosting agency or their agency training coordinator.
Crime Scene Photography

Crime Scene Processing and Documentation

Our two-week (80-hour) Crime Scene Processing and Documentation training course is an entry-level course designed for newly appointed crime scene personnel. Attendees will learn crime scene methodology and how to document and process scenes from start to finish.

Best for: new crime scene investigators/technicians and personnel seeking an end-to-end processing workflow.

Covers: crime scene photography, bloodstain pattern analysis, officer-involved and general shooting incidents.

Format: hands-on training with several dozen practical exercises to strengthen students’ abilities.

Scene Processing
Three yellow evidence placards
Photo with gun, camera, knife, and laser light

Our courses

Why our hands-on crime scene investigation training courses stand out

If you’re evaluating which course to take, here’s what attendees and agencies value most about Pinnacle Forensics training:

  • Hands-on, skills-first instruction: practical exercises designed to build real scene competence—not just theory.
  • Job-relevant methods and workflows: documentation and processing techniques that translate directly to field work.
  • Structured progression: clear instruction, guided practice, and feedback so students leave able to apply the methods.
  • Course-specific exercises: each course includes practical work and subsets to reinforce the material.
  • IAI-approved training: approvals and credits are listed on each course page and in the course flyers.

Want the fastest path? Use the course cards above to select the class that matches your role and training need, then register from the course page.

Crime scene investigator training demonstrations

Short instructional demonstrations from live Bloodstain Pattern Analysis training, designed for crime scene investigators and focused on applied methodology and courtroom-defensible interpretation.

View All BPA Training Videos
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Bloodstain pattern analysis training videos

Short, courtroom-defensible training clips showing real-world bloodstain pattern analysis methods.

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Training Videos

4 Videos
Demonstration Focus: Applied bloodstain pattern analysis methods used in crime scene investigations.
Demonstration Focus: Applied bloodstain pattern analysis methods used in crime scene investigations.

Explosive force can disperse liquid blood into fine droplets and produce complex impact patterns on nearby surfaces. Interpretation should be grounded in overall scene context and the pattern’s features, and may support distinctions such as forward spatter versus backspatter when the staining is suitable for analysis.

View Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Course

Testimonials

What crime scene professionals say about the training

Mr. Gaziano is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Forensics. He is recognized worldwide for his superior understanding and teaching of Blood Stain Pattern Analysis. I took his course twice and each time I learned something new. He made this class fun with his own handmade practical exercises not used in any other courses. Calvin is a true mentor and I learned a lot from him over the years. You will not be disappointed with any course he teaches.

Chris Wilson Fremont Police Department

In 2013, I attended the 40-hour Bloodstain Pattern Investigation course with John Calvin Gaziano as the instructor. Calvin has an effective teaching method, which is clear and concise. During the hands-on training, he broke us into groups and gave each group multiple bloodstain patterns to identify. Because of Calvin's instructions, I can perform the stringing method within bloodstain spatter to identify the area of origin and I can identify the area of convergence. Due to Calvin's guidance throughout the years, I am certified in court as a Bloodstain Pattern Analyst.

Elona Porter Lake County Sheriff’s Office

John is an excellent teacher and does an amazing job teaching his courses. I have testified in court on major cases, because of his instruction, which was both demonstrative and hands on. I was not only a student, but a participant in scientific experiments during his class, which helped my testimony. I highly recommend his courses and his experience as a consultant.

Ed Rudolph Marin County Sheriff's Department

His assessment was not only technically precise but also profoundly humane. He reviewed the case materials with care, outlining inconsistencies, explaining findings, noting issues in the original investigation while also explaining complex forensic processes and analyses in language we could understand. His analysis was meticulous and methodical and fully objective, granting my brother the respect in death he had not been granted at the time of his passing.

Excerpted from a longer public review posted on Google.

Brittni Smyers Hill Google Review

In my 25 year career in Law Enforcement, this is the best Blood Pattern course I have attended. I highly recommend this course. Great course and great instructor.

Margarita Strahan Aransas County Sheriff's Office

I have taken Calvin’s bloodstain pattern course twice, and I can’t say enough positive things about it. It is taught in a way that an entry level investigator or even the most senior would get a ton out of it. After taking his course, I had a much better understanding of what I was seeing at crime scenes. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who has anything to do with crime scene processing or investigation.

Don Fremont Police Department

Calvin Gaziano's bloodstain pattern analysis course was great! Lots of information packed into classroom and hands-on experience. We experienced finding the trajectory of spatter through recreating scenes and examining the evidence. We created a chart to reference what degree blood dropped from. Gaziano also provided us with a binder full of information for the course that we were able to take home. Everyone in my class passed the final test for the certification. Highly recommended!

Grace C Fremont Police Department

Calvin is so incredibly knowledgeable with what he teaches in his course. He even incorporated his own research and thesis into his class. I also really enjoyed the experience I gained with all of the hands on activities we did!

Kaylee Fitzpatrick Fremont Police Department

Calvin Gaziano is a stellar Crime Scene Investigator and blood spatter expert. He breaks down the material so succinctly and thoroughly to make a laymen like myself understand it. He is one of the few IAI certified blood stain pattern analysts in the world. Excellent all the way around!

Jenn Ly Fremont Police Department

I took Mr. Gaziano’s bloodstain pattern course many years ago. To this day, I still have the binder he passed out in his class. He is extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and an expert in this field. His course was filled with fun experiments and had many learning opportunities. I highly recommend Mr. Gaziano’s class!

Candace Cook San Francisco Sheriff's Office

This class was amazing. From the lectures, to the hands on experiments it covered everything! My training binder has not only been a constant resource for myself, but others at my lab who weren't as lucky as I was to have taken this class.

Megan Shaw Santa Clara County Crime Lab

Calvin Gaziano is an exceptional instructor. His lectures and scenarios were easy to follow along and are all real life crime scenes. With his training and experience, I felt comfortable and confident to learn, going into the photography class. I would recommend his class to other fellow crime techs in my area. I hope to attend more future classes taught by him!

Cynthia Gomez Odessa Police Department

Very knowledgeable instructor who breaks down difficult concepts into easy to remember concepts with insightful hands on practicals.

Paul Richards Fremont Police Department

100% recommend this class! John not only gave great lectures, but included a lot of hands-on exercises. As someone new to this field, I feel confident enough to go and take photos at any scene.

Crystal Carbajal Rockport Police Department

Even though I am not knowledgeable in photography, this course allowed me to better understand taking photographs and their importance. The instructor is extremely knowledgeable and helpful in trying to help others have success. I would highly recommend this to anyone who uses photography in any type of crime scene work, especially if it is on a regular basis.

Noah Hood Longview Police Department

WOW!!!! This was an amazing course over bloodstain analysis. Cal’s class is well planned out with labs and lectures over the material. This was the best continuing education course I have taken. The instructor has really refined his craft and had engineered tools and lessons that would be meaningful to investigations where blood is found.

Jessica Kana Tomball Independent School District

Well organized and hands on instruction mixed with the right amount of lecturing.

Shyanne Gines Roanoke Police Department

This course was extremely informative, and was put together very well. Great course, I recommend it.

Amir Mahmood San Francisco Police Department

This class is one of the best I’ve taken. Calvin is a great instructor! Highly recommend this course!

Steve Hunt Fremont Police Department

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  • Instruction delivered at your agency or a preferred location

  • Reduced travel and lodging expenses

  • Applicable to patrol officers, investigators, and supervisors

  • Hosting agency tuition may be waived when minimum enrollment requirements are met

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