Appomattox County Sheriff's Office Investigator Justin W. Rothgeb graduated from the Virginia Forensic Science Academy. Image: Appomattox County Sheriff's Office/Contributed

The Virginia Forensic Science Academy has concluded its 109th session. Appomattox County Sheriff's Office announced that Investigator Justin W. Rothgeb has successfully met all requirements and is hereby a graduate, as of June 23.

The academy's objective is to provide high-level training to qualified crime scene search officers. Law enforcement personnel learn to properly recognize, document, collect and preserve — for laboratory examination — items of physical evidence found at crime scenes.

The academy participant becomes familiar with the capabilities and limitations of the modern forensic laboratory in examining the spectrum of materials that can be collected as evidence in criminal cases.

The nine-week course of study also provides officers with the necessary background information and practical application techniques which, coupled with the student's previous experience, permits maximum utilization of the forensic sciences to their departments and the Criminal Justice System of the Commonwealth.

This is also in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.