Robert Bob Worsham

October 1931 – December 2011 – Founder of Criminalistics

In 1952, Bob served as a K9 handler during the Korean War for the USAF Air Police. After the war, he joined the Miami-Dade Police Department, where he quickly rose to the position of Detective Sergeant in the Forensics Division. In 1967, he developed the first latent fingerprint spray, Chem Print™, and was the first recipient of the Florida Governor’s Award for Law Enforcement Excellence. This same year, Bob was also named one of the top 10 police officers  in the U.S. by the Police Chief’s Association. With this success and his passion for innovation in the law enforcement industry, Bob decided to form his own company, Criminalistics, Inc. Later, as Police Lieutenant, he served as Commander of the Miami-Dade Bomb Squad and Chief of the Photographic Forensics Laboratory. It was during this time that he began development of the first commercially produced single-vent EOD trailer, known today as Suspected Item Disposal Trailer (SID™).

In 1972, the SID™ received its certification from Picatinny Arsenal, the 13th Ordinance Detachment, the 88th Ordinance Detachment, and the National Bomb Data Center. In 1977, Bob patented a multi-purpose fingerprint powder that allowed investigators to lift a print from surfaces of any color or background. This formula is still in use at agencies across the globe today. After retiring from law enforcement in 1974, he spent the next decade devoted to the growth of his company and expanding his product line beyond forensics and EOD. 

In 1986, he developed the first remote K9 deployment system, known today as Bail Out™, which allowed for the K9 officer to remotely open the K9 compartment of their vehicle and deploy his K9 partner in emergency situations (for apprehension or officer protection).

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In 1987, he began development of a K9 temperature monitor for police vehicles. This system actively monitors the vehicle’s internal temperature and alerts the handle  in the event the conditions in the vehicle reach an unsafe level. These systems are in use at hundreds of agencies around the globe, and are marketed today under the name Premier K9. Later, Bob continued his lifetime of public service as President of the Miami Civic League,  member of the Lewis County Economic Development Council, and Mayor of Morton, Washington, where he lived until his death in 2011.

Today, Criminalistics, Inc.’s products are in use at hundreds of agencies world-wide, including the United States Secret Service; the U.S. Capitol Police; and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Hazard Devices School at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama.