REGIONAL CRIME LAB MOVE DEPENDS ON FUNDING AVAILABILITY

Moving the Southeast Missouri Regional Crime Lab to a larger facility in Cape Girardeau and improving the lab rests upon its ability to raise the funds needed for the move, says Director Dr. Robert Briner.

The lab, which serves law enforcement agencies in 21 counties in the Southeast Missouri region, has been housed in a 2,000-square-foot building since it began operations in 1969.

If funding is found, plans are to move the lab from its present location on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University to the Tlapek building at Ellis and Merriwether streets.

But the Tlapek building, which is now used by the university's physical plant, would require substantial renovations before it could be used by the lab.

Briner estimates the final price tag for relocation and renovation of the building to be about $700,000.

In its recent session, the Missouri legislature appropriated $100,000 for the crime lab relocation and renovation. The crime lab would have to raise an additional $100,000 to be eligible for the state money. The bill was sent to Gov. Mel Carnahan May 21 and awaits his signature.

Briner said the matching funds for relocation have already been raised through the University Foundation. But, Briner said, even with the $200,000 raised, the lab is barely one-quarter of the way toward the $700,000 total needed.

The remaining $500,000 for the project would have to come through private donations or federal funds.

Sen. Kit Bond has met with several law enforcement officers in the area about the need to expand the crime lab and the possibility of finding federal funding to assist in the project, said Tom Schulte, communications director for the senator's Cape Girardeau office.

Bond has had favorable response from members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary, when discussing the need for funds, Schulte said.

Much of that response is due to Missouri's growing methamphetamine problem, especially in Southeast Missouri, and the importance of the lab in combating the problem, Schulte said.

"We're looking at a figure of around $800,000," he said.

The $800,000 would be used not simply for the lab, but for other improvements on the Tlapek building related to law enforcement. Under current plans, only half of the building's 14,000 square feet would be used by the lab.

The remaining space could be used for other purposes such as the Southeast Missouri law enforcement academy, a teaching lab for a proposed master's program in forensic science and a regional morgue.

Schulte cautions that while Bond has received favorable response for the funding, nothing has passed out of committee, let alone gotten the approval of the full Senate. And support from the House would also be needed, he said.

The lab, only of only three regional crime labs in the state, has been at its present site on North Henderson since it began operations in September 1969. The building, which was adequate at the time, has become increasingly cramped as technology has advanced and more equipment has been added.

In addition, the case load for the lab has grown steadily over the years. Nearly 3,700 cases were handled by the lab last year, an increase of almost 10 percent over 1996 figures and of more than 230 percent since 1978.

"The main reason for relocating is so we won't be falling all over each other," said Briner.

PROPOSED SOUTHEAST MISSOURI REGIONAL CRIME LAB

The Regional Crime lab has served law enforcement in 21 Missouri counties since 1969 and is currently housed on the Southeast Missouri State University Campus.

Renovation of a building on Ellis and Merriwether streets will begin by fall at the earliest, depending on funding for a new crime lab. Renovation of the building, currently used by the university's physical plant, is necessary to secure national accreditation of the crime lab and reduce space limitations. Costs are estimated at $700,000 for the project.