07/08/2026
Welcome to the first ANZFSS WA Member Spotlight!
Mike Lee - Senior Forensic Investigation Officer with the Western Australia Police Force
Why do you do it?
Every job is different and not knowing what you are going to be dealing with each shift keeps the job fresh. Attending major crime scenes also comes with a big responsibility, which can add pressure, but also job satisfaction when your work produces results that can drastically affect investigations.
Favourite forensic fact!
During a cold case investigation we recovered the remains of someone who had been buried for about 20 years, and whilst the clothing made of natural fibres had weathered away, the man made textiles looked like they could have been bought in the shop yesterday… well, maybe after going through the washing machine.
What makes you get up in the morning?
The most satisfying moments in this job are getting forensic results back (e.g. fingerprint or DNA) where the offender was, until that result, unknown. Being able to provide Investigators with a suspect where there was previously none is incredibly satisfying.
If I could change one thing…
The biggest thing that would reduce the amount of incidents that I attend would probably be if people did not have access to alcohol or drugs. The reason being that most of the serious crimes I deal with tend to involve one or both of these as a factor.
If you want to be in our Spotlight, please fill out the Google Form at https://forms.gle/85nYV7NJVeHSF35MA
