Murders, sexual assaults and burglaries: Investigators say they're all horrible crimes that victims want solved quickly. But, they're also investigations that can take time, especially with backlogs at the state crime lab. That's why in Eau Claire, officers rely on an in-house crime lab to speed up that process.

25 officers including, sergeants, lieutenants and detectives make up the Eau Claire Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit. They all volunteered for the extra training and hours for no extra pay.

NewsCenter 13 had unprecedented access recently to go behind the scenes with the CSU. We're going to show you how the unit uses science to try and solve a crime.

It’s a scene of shattered glass, busted equipment and broken spirits.

"My first thought was did somebody single me out? Did I do something?" says Carol Carlson of Eau Claire Medical Electrolysis. "What right did they have coming into our property and touching my things?"

When Carlson walked into work April 24, she knew right away someone else had been there. A little later, officers are at the scene and the Crime Scene Unit is on its way.

"It's hard to say what they'll find, but that's why we have evidence techs. They're trained to look specifically for the things that a lot of times are overlooked," says Officer Jason Kaveney.

When the team rolls up, the guys get right to work. There's a lot of work to do.

"The days are long gone when you could just take a camera and some fingerprint dust to a crime scene and process the whole thing. Now with technological upgrades, we're taking computer mapping, alternate light sources, portable X-ray machines," says CSU Coordinator Lt. Gerald Staniszewski.

This time, investigators say the burglars came in this window, made their way through Eau Claire Medical Electrolysis and into two connected businesses.

"Along the way what they were doing was looking for cash," says Sgt. Brian Schneider.

Hours later, Sgt. Schneider and his crew look for any evidence the crooks left behind. They start with photographs and fingerprints, both inside the building and outside in the rain.

"It's always worth a shot, a try," says Sgt. Schneider.

"You almost have to put yourself in the mindset. If the person came in the window, for example, where would they have contact? Would they have touched the windowsill?” says CSU Evidence Technician Chad Stedl.

Investigators showed us how they dust for prints, how they measure where doors are pried open and how they look for places to try for DNA.

Then all that evidence and more is taken to the crime lab, immediately sealed into evidence envelopes and locked up until CSU lab technicians can take a closer look.

"Crime scene investigations only help detectives. Before all this we had interviews and that's great, but this is something where we can say ‘this fingerprint belongs to you and you're the person who committed this crime,’" says Detective Ryan Lambeseder.

Detectives Lambeseder and Mike Voelker search for fingerprints on a cash box, a tin, a utility knife and even a tiny piece of paper, all with the help of some high-tech equipment.

"It basically seals in your fingerprint, so your fingerprint won't be ruined so once we dust it for prints," Lambeseder says showing us a super glue fuming chamber.

"The chemical absorbs into the paper, we also apply steam to accelerate the process," Voelker says showing us how a chemical called Ninhydrin brings out fingerprints on paper.

After an hour and half, the detectives have some hits and some misses. The hits will go to the state crime lab and the detectives will wait for results.

"What we were finding out five or six years ago was that when we submitted a fingerprint to the crime lab it was nine months to year before we got result,” says Lt. Staniszewski. “By having a lab here we can cut that response time down to maybe a month or two at the most."

"The day you get a call from the crime lab and they say the DNA belongs to this person or a fingerprint belongs to this person, that's a great feeling," Lambeseder says.

That's when crime scene investigators know they helped catch a criminal and bring closure to a victim.

“They come in and get in your space and mess up your life and then they walk out with a couple dollars in your pocket and leave you picking up the mess,” says Eau Claire Medical Electrolysis Owner Joyce Munson.

Officers say what a lot of people don't realize that a real life crime scene isn't like the ones you see on TV where investigators get fingerprint hits within minutes and get the bad guy within an hour.

This burglary is still unsolved.