Potential SEMO Crime Lab expansion explored

A visioning meeting, a working lunch and a tour were held Monday, Dec. 12, about the future of the Southeast Missouri Crime Laboratory at 122 S. Ellis St. in Cape Girardeau.

The lab has had an interesting history.

• 1976: The lab began operating out of a 2,000-square-foot house on Henderson Avenue on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.
• 2003: Because of necessary expansion, the laboratory relocated to 7,700 square feet of university-owned property at 122 S. Ellis St., where it remains today. The building also houses SEMO Law Enforcement Academy,

The crime lab, it seems, is again bursting at the seams, according to several elected officeholders who came together with others this week at the behest of state Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater — himself a retired Cape Girardeau police officer — to seek solutions.

"In a nutshell, Rep. Hovis made us aware, some time ago, months ago, that our crime lab was in need of space, and he invited us to go over and tour," said Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst, who — like Hovis — is a former law enforcement professional.

"There's not a lot of unused space. When they moved in, there were six or seven staff, and now there's almost 20. They were showing us in the last 20 years, DNA technology has advanced, and when that happens, there's an increased need for equipment and additional space. We were in one of the lab areas and five people were in there. Probably students in a high school chemistry lab would have more space to work than these scientists do," he added.

"The crime lab is a very important asset," said Hovis, who said it seems clear the facility now needs 12,000 to 15,000 square feet for analysts, crime technicians and supervisors to do a proper job of drug chemistry, toxicology, biology and latent prints.

"As commissioners, we've probably toured the crime lab as many as four times in the past 18 months, and for sure, we want to keep it in Cape Girardeau County," Presiding County Commissioner Clint Tracy said.

"There's not a lot of room currently and there's a desire to continue to be partners with SEMO to offer internships. This [effort] isn't to take anything away from the university but, frankly, how to make the relationship better and more functional."

John Voss, House District 147 representative-elect, also attended the meeting, and the current lab is in his constituency.

"Cape Girardeau is ideally located to serve the Southeast Missouri region's law enforcement community. I'm confident we can find a new location to keep this important facility here," said Voss, who takes his seat in the General Assembly next month.

Financing

Hovis acknowledged the state is sitting on a sizable budget surplus at the moment, which might be able to fund crime lab expansion.

"There is additional money available which could be used for one-time projects. There's a good opportunity [now] to improve state and local government infrastructure, including the crime lab, in my opinion," he said.

Moreover, Hovis said he thinks there is a path to get a new crime lab space funded.

"The best way is to get to the table relevant state agencies and with the governor's agreement to get [the lab] into his line-item funding request," he said, noting Gov. Mike Parson toured SEMO Crime Lab as recently as 2021.