Women in the AFP - Jo Lee, Team Leader, Biology, Forensics
However AFP biologist Jo Lee says investigations aren't all neatly wrapped up in an hour.
"I do have to laugh when they get DNA results so quickly on TV and solve the crime by the end of the program", she said.
"In reality, DNA testing is an involved and lengthy process. A lot of the work we do is very painstaking and slow. We have to do it properly and follow correct procedures to make sure we get our part of an investigation right."
Jo has been a biologist with the AFP for eight years, starting her career after graduating from university with a science degree. Her father was a scientist and Jo always wanted to work with the AFP, so the job is a perfect fit.
Most of Jo's work is DNA analysis and other biological and serological testing. The AFP lab can have up to 1400 cases on the books at once, covering everything from property crime to murder. In many cases, forensic evidence is vital to solving the crime.
"You have to remember that forensics is just part of the bigger picture and adds to other accumulated evidence to build a case," Jo said.
"When you do get a breakthrough it's fantastic. You can work on a case for weeks, sometimes months, then all of a sudden—bang—you get a match."
Lab-based work is by its nature meticulous with tight quality assurance and quality control guidelines.
While most of the work is lab-based, Jo is also called to crime scenes, particularly to use her expertise in blood splatter interpretation.
While her most harrowing and challenging job was victim identification after the Bali bombings, it was also one of her most rewarding experiences.
"The Bali bombing was a real turning point in the way we do our work and the way we approach our job," she said. When Jo arrived in Bali soon after the bombing she was the only biologist on the ground. The initial scene was overwhelming, particularly dealing with the media and families of victims.
"The victim identification process was difficult because we had to be so careful gathering DNA and anything we could use to identify the bodies. This included tattoos, hair, jewellery, birth marks; anything really.
"At the same time there were so many upset families who just wanted to take their loved ones home and we could empathise with them.
"Even though it was a horrific job, it had its positive elements. We were working as a team and we had a common goal and in the end we were able to help people get closure."
It's the sort of experience Jo never would have dreamed of before joining the AFP—where a career can encompass national and international operations such as human trafficking, cyber-crime and counter terrorism as well as the more traditional policing roles of enforcing Commonwealth criminal law, protecting Commonwealth and national interests from crime in Australia and overseas, and community policing in the ACT.
"The breadth of work is fantastic and there are so many opportunities working for the AFP. You get a taste of every type of forensic work there is," she said.
"It also provides great career opportunities for women in science. The future is boundless. The advances in science are amazing. There's research work being done now which is just mind blowing. The door has just opened on DNA as an emerging field and who knows where that will take us."