Olivia Contreras

Lecturer

Contact Information

Fall 2025 Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 5:30-6:30 on Zoom.

About Olivia Contreras:

Olivia Contreras moved from Oahu to California in 2015 to become a Public Safety Officer for Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. She has specified training in Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS. She has worked for this department for 9 years and has had a specialty assignment as a Crime Scene Investigator for the last 6 years. Her investigative experience includes homicides, persons, property, sexual assaults, and drug crimes.

She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix in Criminal Justice and a Master's degree from California Coast University in Administration/Management. She has dedicated herself to teaching as an EMT Instructor, San Jose Police Academy Instructor, and Sunnyvale Academy Instructor. She has a plethora of field experience and has been the lead CSI for high-profile cases. She has now branched out to academic instruction and is excited to be a part of San Jose State University.

Research Interests:

Crime scene investigation
Forensic science
Criminal investigation