University News
McCamey Crime Lab Dedication Nov. 5
November 1, 2018
MACOMB, IL – The dedication of the new Western Illinois University School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) McCamey Crime Lab will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5. The event is open to the public.
The premier state-of-the-art crime lab, which is located on the fourth floor of Tillman Hall,
is the result of a sizeable donation from Jody and the late Toby McCamey to honor their husband and son, William "Bill" McCamey, a professor within the School of LEJA from 1982 until 2012.
The McCamey Crime Lab is expected to be complete by mid-November, with its official debut for classes in Spring 2019. The lab will house alternate light source equipment with magnifying lenses and interchangeable barrier filters to examine hair, fibers, semen, dust, prints, blood and palmar oils, as well as other physiological fluids. The lab will also house an optical comparator, which examines tool marks, fingerprints, palm prints, footprints and glass fragments; a forensic workstation; a ductless dry safe and numerous evidence recovery kits, including a liquid silicone casting kit, latent print kit, digital mobile device kit and blood spatter documentation kit.
"The addition of the crime lab affords students experience in cutting-edge and best practice techniques taught by exceptional faculty who have real-world expertise in the field," School Director Jill Myers said. "The hands-on lab offers the link between academics and application of the theories to real world events. Plus, it makes the learning exciting, entertaining and purposeful. This is such wonderful gift for our students."
Additionally, the crime lab will be equipped with movable walls, props, cameras and mannequins so that the room can be transformed to stage working crime scenes.
McCamey joined the WIU faculty after earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from Western and his doctorate from the University of Iowa. Within the School of LEJA, McCamey taught courses in criminal justice management, fire administration and policing. He also taught and developed fire courses for the National Fire Academy.
While at Western, McCamey helped certify 1,800 police as juvenile specialists and served as the department's graduate school coordinator. He also co-authored four law enforcement textbooks, published numerous peer-reviewed articles on fire science and criminal justice and was the editor of the Journal of Security Administration. McCamey's professional experience included serving as a Canton (IL) firefighter, police officer, investigator and paramedic.
Jody said that Bill was always a "forward thinker," constantly bringing up some of his unsolved cases, and remarking that additional investigation and crime-solving techniques would further enhance the student's educational experience. The new crime lab embodies his desire to increase student capabilities in meeting the challenges of modern investigations, she added.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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