Essex Police Rachel Lyus Inspires Women to Pursue Forensics Career

Essex Police admire Rachel Lyus. She works as a CSI there and has worked for the force for seven years. Police call her proof of passion’s power, citing her perseverance.

Rachel joined the police in 2015, initially working in the Crime Bureau. There, she handled non-emergency calls and recorded crime reports. After two and half years, she transitioned to become a CSI.

Her mom inspired her to work in forensics. They watched dramas and documentaries together, and Rachel said her mom was very supportive. Her mom taught her she could do anything.

Rachel wanted to work in forensics since she was eleven. She loved forensic anthropology at university. She also liked crime scene investigation, but CSI won because of the role’s variety.

Colleagues also inspired Rachel, encouraging her a lot and guiding her career path. She is now a senior CSI and also trains as a crime scene manager.

Rachel loves the role’s variety and enjoys its unpredictability. It is an amazing job, she thinks. You rarely know what the day will bring and see different places and things.

She meets diverse people daily, including crime victims regularly. She also works with other professionals. As a CSM, she manages cases fully, a process involving challenges and decisions.

Seeing a case through is rewarding, including preparing for trial. Rachel loves managing her great team and celebrating their successes is enjoyable.

The job has challenges, though. Long hours are common, and extreme weather can be tough. Emotionally hard scenes exist, too, yet the role’s value is very high because her actions help many people.

Rachel helps find key evidence and comforts crime victims. One case was an arson scene where she found a device containing DNA. The DNA identified a suspect.

Rachel has had many memorable moments, but one particular fire damage arson scene really impacted her. She initially felt finding evidence was impossible.

They sent an item to the lab for testing, which gave a full DNA profile and identified a suspect in the case. This taught her to always stay open-minded and to be optimistic at scenes.

Helping deliver justice matters most, and offering closure to victims is vital. This is why they all do this work. Rachel has advice for CSI hopefuls: seize every opportunity you can get and you will regret things you don’t do.

Easy is not worthwhile, she believes; live for the moment and go for it.