A group of Justice Studies students at the University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) didn’t just learn about crime scene investigation (CSI) work from a textbook – they got to experience doing it at the second annual Humber-Seneca Intercollegiate CSI Challenge, held at Humber Polytechnic’s North campus in February.
The nine U of GH students formed three teams and competed against students from seven other post-secondary institutions to investigate a simulated crime scene (even donning the protective suit a forensic investigator wears). One of the U of GH teams, comprised of Natasha Almeida Portillo, Jacob Dobson, and Demetrios Anastasakos, placed among the top three in the competition.
“It’s a great opportunity because it almost feels real…once you’re in it, there’s adrenaline rushing, and you have to apply your knowledge. It’s so fun, and you learn so much from it,” Justice Studies student competitor Almeida Portillo said.
Each team of three combed through a mock crime scene, with every student playing a key role consisting of a lead investigator, a photographer, and an interviewer. Once they examined and logged evidence at the “crime scene” and spoke with “witnesses,” teams would then make a full report to submit to a judging panel, complete with a crime scene sketch and photos. The submissions were scored based on how thorough the investigation was.
But there was a twist, Almeida Portillo said: at the end of the competition, it was revealed that the scene students had to investigate was based off a real cold case from around 30 years ago. The detective from this case came to the CSI Challenge to deliver a presentation to the students. This added another element of authenticity to the investigative experience.
Entering this compelling challenge involved extensive preparation. U of GH’s competitors trained with instructor John Remillard for several weeks prior to the CSI Challenge, meeting during afternoons and evenings at the Guelph-Humber campus. This involved setting up similar situations to what they could expect in the mock scenario and in the real world, learning how to investigate properly.
“I feel like Guelph-Humber does a really good job in the Justice [Studies] program, and the coaching done by John, to prepare you to go into managing a crime scene and investigating it to the best of our ability,” Dobson said, who played the role of the lead investigator on his team.
For Dobson, this was the second time he participated in the CSI Challenge. As an aspiring police officer, he jumped at the change to put his knowledge into practice.
“The CSI competition provided me with an opportunity to learn more about forensics and evidence-handling and gathering that carry over into real-world policing and investigations,” he said. “We're all taking this program because we want to be in this field. And getting more exposure than what you do in the classroom is what really will set you apart when applying for jobs.”
In the role of the photographer, his teammate, Almeida Portillo, was able to flex her precision skills, having to be observant and cautious not to miss photographing even the tiniest details. She had also participated in the 2024 competition, but with Humber Polytechnic before transferring to U of GH.
This year’s challenge helped her exit her comfort zone because instead of repeating her prior role as lead investigator (one she felt comfortable doing again), she wanted to explore the role of the photographer, which gave Dobson a chance to try the lead investigator role – one he had his heart set on.
“[As a team] we really motivated each other and helped each other a lot,” she said.
Congratulations to our participating students: Dilmeet Sandhu, Issa Khan, Caitlin Brodie, Courtney Semach, Sarah Alkhalifa, Ravneet Brar, Natasha Almeida Portillo, Jacob Dobson, and Demetrios Anastasakos.
To learn more about the Justice Studies program, click here.
