'CSI' CONSULTANT RECALLS SERIES

Greg Laskowski -- Kern County forensic scientist

Now a Bakersfield-based private forensic scientist, Greg Laskowski was the supervising criminalist for the Kern County district attorney's crime lab when this photo was taken in 2012. Laskowski was a key consultant for the CBS series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which ended its long run Sunday night. “Forensic science got a boost in terms of young people considering making it a career,” said Laskowski. “It was cool to want to study science. Most of all, one could use science to fight for justice.”

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Kern County criminologist Greg Laskowski watched Sunday’s two-hour “CSI” finale with mixed emotion. He was sad to see the show end its remarkable 15-year run, but he was grateful for what it had done for him, personally, and for the field of forensic science.

“Back in 2005, the show literally saved the Kern County crime lab,” said Laskowski, who retired as a supervising criminalist in the lab. For most of the crime show’s run, Laskowski also served as a technical consultant, helping develop plot lines and crime-busting solutions.

For his work on the show, Laskowski mostly received “warm thanks,” an occasional gift and a chance to mingle with the stars.

But a decade ago, when budget cuts threatened to close Kern County’s lab, Laskowski was rewarded in a special way. The cast of the popular TV show appeared in Bakersfield to shine a light on the lab’s critical contribution to local crime-fighting. The star-studded support is credited with convincing Kern County supervisors to drop plans to ax millions from the lab’s budget.

Regrettably, the show’s popularity was not enough to save “CSI” from the network’s latest round of budget-cutting. Sagging ratings put the show in CBS’s crosshairs. “CSI” last season reportedly averaged 11.2 million viewers and a 2.1 rating among adults 18-49. In its third season, which began in September 2002, it was rated the nation’s top television show with an average of 26.1 million viewers.

After 15 years and 335-plus episodes, “it has been a long run,” Laskowski said after watching the finale. “I thought the series could have continued for a full season, but it was not to be.”

Laskowski was recruited as a technical adviser by David Berman, who played assistant coroner David Phillips, before the show even began airing in 2000. In addition to acting, Berman and Jon Wellner, who played toxicologist Henry Andrews, formed Hollywood-based Entertainment Research Consultants. In an earlier Californian interview, Berman said he discovered Laskowski when he was searching for a firearms expert to help develop a plot. Recommended by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Colorado, the Kern County criminologist became one of the show’s “most valued consultants.”

Fielding questions on weekends and nights, “the writers and producers taxed my brain on a continuous basis,” said Laskowski.

“They came up with the scenarios that required me to find scientifically plausible tests and equipment to solve their cases.”

And Laskowski continued helping “CSI” up until the show’s very end.

“Mostly [my help] dealt with the bombing sequences” in the final show, he said, explaining he was asked such things as how different types of explosives worked and how scenes should look. Berman explained Laskowski’s job was to help accurately fit sophisticated forensic information into a compelling 44-minute show. From the beginning of his involvement in “CSI,” Laskowski also recognized the potential of the show, said Berman.

“He knew it could really elevate the status of forensic scientists.”

But some have contended the show elevated the status “too much.” In 2008, researchers at Eastern Michigan University found the series had unreasonably raised the expectation of jurors. What became known as the “CSI effect” was the possibility that jurors would refuse to convict a defendant without “concrete” scientific proof.

In the end, Laskowski believes the show has been good for law enforcement and the field of forensic science.

“Forensic science got a boost in terms of young people considering making it a career,” said Laskowski. “It was cool to want to study science. Most of all, one could use science to fight for justice.”

Laskowski continues to be a consultant for such shows as “Bones,” “Blacklist” and “Rosewood.”

“And as long as Jon Wellner and David Berman keep feeding me questions from new shows, I guess I will be answering them.”

Now a Bakersfield-based private forensic scientist, Laskowski also teaches a CSI course for the Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning at Bakersfield College and is an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma. He is active in a number of professional organizations, including the California Association of Criminalists, the American Board of Criminalistics and the International Association for Identification.

This article appeared in The Bakersfield Californian on Sept. 28, 2015.

https://www.bakersfield.com/archives/bakersfield-forensic-scientist-and-csi-consultant-reflects-on-end-of/article_e17bf615-ee29-5dcc-9134-5b489f94d01c.html