STATE SUPPORT FOR CRIME LABS WANING

State financial support for regional crime laboratories has been waning in recent years, causing some local officials to question whether the Missouri Department of Public Safety wants them to continue operating.

"That has always been sort of an allegation down here: that the Highway Patrol wants to have sole control over crime labs," said Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep. "I don't know if it does or doesn't, but there may be some basis for that because state funding keeps getting cut back."

But Debbie Ferguson, assistant director for administration in the Department of Public Safety, said the department fully recognizes the need for regional crime labs.

"We very much support the regional crime labs," said Ferguson. "It is a needed entity and there is no way one lab in the state can do it. Our support is demonstrated because we continue to ask for money through the program."

Ferguson said all state agencies have had to make difficult budget decisions this year and crime labs are not the only entities within the department that have been cut

back.

"To make a blanket statement that there is no support here is something I would strongly disagree with," said Ferguson.

The Missouri Highway Patrol has a crime lab in Jefferson City and there are four regional labs that receive state support in Cape Girardeau, Joplin, Springfield and Kansas City. Under 1980 legislation pushed by Sen. John Dennis, D-Benton, and Rep. Gene Copeland, D-New Madrid, state matching funds were provided for regional crime labs as a line item in the budget of the director of the Department of Public Safety.

The money was to help offset a loss of federal grant money.

The first state funding was for more than $200,000 to be distributed as matching funds to five crime labs that were operating at that time, said Dr. Robert Briner, director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Crime Lab in Cape Girardeau.

Initially, Briner said crime labs were matching state funds dollar for dollar. But while support by local governmental entities and service clubs increased for regional labs, state support dropped. The matching fund requirement was dropped several years ago and funds are now allocated on a population basis.

"It kept getting to the point where the state money went down and the local share up," said Briner. "At one point I asked, why not reverse it? You match what we've got rather than we match what you've got."

Local support for the SEMO lab amounts to about $150,000 a year.

"They keep saying they re supporting crime labs, but all you have to do is look at the figures," Briner said "How else can you read it?"

In fiscal 1993, the Department of Public Safety and Gov. John Ashcroft budgeted $125,175 for regional crime labs. However, Dennis worked with Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Wilson, D-Columbia, to have $14,523 added to the core budget for labs to equal what labs should have gotten in fiscal 1992.

Dennis said he had no idea whether Ashcroft would keep the additional money intact, but was urging him to do so.

In fiscal 1991, the appropriation for crime labs was $161,831. The same amount was budgeted in fiscal 1992; however, the governor vetoed $22,133 from that amount due to a shortage of state funds, reducing it to $139,698.

Probably the strongest evidence of a lack of state support for regional crime labs came last year when Ashcroft withheld additional funds from state agencies and asked directors to make cuts where they felt appropriate.

Dick Rice, director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, withheld $77,867 of the $139,698 that was in his budget for crime labs. The labs were one of four line items in the department's budget under the category "director's office."

By comparison, Rice cut just $15,000 from the administrative personnel line item, which totaled $796,514. All cuts under the director's office came to $122,530.

Ferguson stressed the level of cuts should not be viewed as lack of support for regional crime labs.

"The director had to make some tough decisions to get by the year," said Ferguson. "Nobody had to close their doors. Everybody has survived. Hopefully this year is behind us; the future looks pretty good."

Ferguson said the Department of Public Safety came under a lot of criticism for reductions that had to be made. She said the department has been aggressive in seeking additional sources of funds for crime labs.

For example, Ferguson said that $250,000 was made available to labs from the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. This money is distributed to 12 labs in the state. They include not only the regional labs but the main lab and satellite labs of the Highway Patrol and some labs operated by large police departments.

She said grants also are available from the federal government for dealing with drug-related crimes.

Briner said the SEMO Lab's share of the $250,000 amounts to $25,000; however, it can only be used for equipment and capital improvements. Briner said the lab's big need now is funding for regular operations.

The drug grants require matching funds, which Briner said has to be raised from local entities. Recently, the Cape County Commission approved use of $1,000 from the prosecutor's bad-check fund to help match some federal money.

The lab in Cape Girardeau had been getting about $50,000 in operating money from the state, but last year's withholding cut it to less than $21,640.

Briner said cuts to regional crime labs were too excessive by the director of public safety this fiscal year. Briner said: "I guess he feels nobody gives a rip; that Briner will raise his money locally and we don't have to worry about them. It's ridiculous.

"If we had thought we were not doing a good job or not providing good service, or there was a problem with the lab and that was why we got cut, I would not have any argument," said Briner. "But we get the same cuts whether we do a good job or not. There is no reward for doing a good job. It seems we have to justify our existence and nobody wants to look at what we are doing.

"I have a hard time understanding last year's (budget) decisions from our perspective."

Briner said the SEMO lab handles 2,500 cases a year.

Area law enforcement officials said that while the Highway Patrol-operated labs do good work, they are so backlogged with cases that it often takes months to get reports back. It is even more difficult to get staff from the state lab scheduled to testify in court about evidence, the officials said.

The local lab provides quicker service and analysts are readily accessible to testify in court, they said.

Cape County Circuit Judge A.J. Seier, who was instrumental in starting the lab during his tenure as prosecuting attorney, said the lab has been a valuable tool for law enforcement.

"As a local prosecutor I relied heavily on the crime lab, and feel it upgraded the quality of our law enforcement," said Seier. "It filled a need then and still fills a need today. Instead of cutting back, I would advocate maintaining or increasing capabilities of the lab."

The judge said he also has sensed some resentment by state agencies toward the regional labs.

"I know that it has been a struggle between crime labs and state agencies from day one," said Seier. "It seems to have gotten worse recently. We have been aware of and fighting this problem since we began the lab."

Both Briner and Seier praised Dennis for his longtime efforts on behalf of the crime labs. He said that as a former sheriff Dennis understands the need.

"If it had not been for Sen. Dennis in there, this crime lab would not be here," said Briner. "He's been a big supporter of us."

Dennis said he is not sure whether state agencies are trying to choke funding for the labs, but the labs are necessary.

"This whole regional concept works good and a lot of people in law enforcement think we need more state funding for them," said Dennis. "These labs are one of the most important tools we have in fighting crime."

Area law enforcement officials said they have a good relationship with personnel in the Highway Patrol labs, but in most instances the regional labs are more easily accessible and responsive to needs.

"I'm not trying to build an empire down here, but I am trying to build a lab so we don't have to sell pencils on the street corner to raise enough money to support it," said Briner. "We want to provide a lab to serve the people of Southeast Missouri."