CRIME LAB DIRECTOR WARNS OF SHORTAGES

JACKSON - Unless additional funding is secured, services of the Southeast Missouri Regional Crime Lab will have to be cut and its future left in jeopardy, Director Bob Briner warned Thursday.

In a meeting with the Cape Girardeau County Commission, Briner said "we're hanging on by a thread; we're in a very, very vulnerable position."

The crime lab serves a 20-county region and is located on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The lab receives support from 85 different agencies that use its services, and also gets some state funding. But state revenue has dropped in recent years and the lab will only get $21,640 from the state this year.

"If the state Department of Public Safety cuts us again like last year, we're going to be in bad shape," said Briner.

He explained that expenses for this fiscal year will be about $174,000; receipts so far during this year have come to $153,000 with another $22,500 pledged by cities and counties.

Briner said if all the money comes in, the lab will barely break even. He noted that $6,000 of the receipts is money carried over from the last fiscal year.

"We're just right on the edge," said Briner. "We're just living from day to day."

The city of Cape Girardeau is the biggest user of the crime lab and its largest contributor. The city of Sikeston and Cape Girardeau County rank next in use and support.

Briner asked the county commission to consider increasing its contribution. This year he had requested $15,000, however, the commission budgeted $11,500. In 1991 Cape County's contribution was $10,200 and in 1990 it was $9,400.

"You can rest assured Cape County will carry its share of the burden," said Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep.

But before committing any more money, Huckstep said he wanted to see what other cities and counties were contributing because he felt it would be unfair for Cape County to carry the

financial load for other counties.

Briner told Huckstep that Cape County has been a good supporter of the crime lab in the past and remarked, "I'm not asking for a blank check. I just want to be able to cover expenses. I'm not asking for anything other than consideration.

Briner said it would be a big help to the lab if Cape County could increase its amount to the $15,000 level.

Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle, who appeared with Briner, told the commissioners that the lab has been a big help to his office in making cases. Without their prompt assistance, Swingle said it would have been difficult to build strong criminal cases in some instances.

Swingle said he would send the commission a letter requesting that $1,000 from the county's bad check fund be allocated to the crime lab. He explained the money could be used to match federal funds that are now available and bring in $4,000.

Huckstep said they would take the request under advisement.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has a crime lab in Jefferson City, however, the regional labs are important because they can provide information quickly and are more accessible for testifying in court about data they gathered.

Briner said he has four employees in the crime lab and another part time person paid for through a drug grant.

"If we continue to have cutbacks, we may have to layoff people or cut hours and that just reduces the services that we can provide," said Briner.

Huckstep said once Briner provides additional information they will consider his request for more funding.