CRIMINALISTICS IS DEFINED AS THE WAYS AND MEANS OF PREVENTING, DISCOVERING, INVESTIGATING, AND RESOLVING CRIMINAL OFFENSES. A GROUP OF EXPERTS IN THE CITY OF SAARBRUECKEN LISTED 21 COMPETENCIES NECESSARY FOR SUCCESSFUL DETECTIVE WORK INCLUDING PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND ABILITY, SKILLS IN ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION, TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING, INGENUITY, A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, AND QUICK REACTIONS. IN ADDITION, DETECTIVES WILL NEED INCREASINGLY SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN SUCH SPECIFIC AREAS AS THEFT, FRAUD, HOMICIDE, AND DRUG OFFENSES; THE 'ALL-AROUND' DETECTIVE IS RAPIDLY BECOMING OBSOLETE. IN ORDER TO BRIDGE THE INCREASING GULF BETWEEN PRACTICAL SKILLS AND ACADEMIC TRAINING, PROFESSIONALS AT POLICE ACADEMIES SHOULD PERIODICALLY EXCHANGE THEIR INSTRUCTOR POSITIONS FOR PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE ASSIGNMENTS. A STANDARDIZED CRIMINALISTIC CURRICULUM SHOULD SERVE TO ABOLISH THE PRESENT DIVERGENCIES AMONG WEST GERMAN STATES. SPECTACULAR CRIMINAL CASES FREQUENTLY UNCOVER ROUTINE ERRORS IN INVESTIGATING AND SEARCHING FOR THE OFFENDERS; THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE SEEMS PARTICULARLY GREAT IN THE ACQUISITION AND EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE. THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE CURRICULUM OF 1950 AND THAT OF 1978 SHOWS THAT MUCH OF THE THEORETICAL TRAINING TODAY IS OUTDATED. WHILE FORENSICS AND TECHNICAL CRIMINOLOGY ARE RAPIDLY PROGRESSING, THE TRAINING AND TECHNIQUES OF THE PROFESSIONALS WHO WILL BE HANDLING THIS TECHNIQUES OF THE BEEN LARGELY NEGLECTED. THE ARTICLE CONTAINS FEW REFERENCES. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)