Editorial

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WORD GAMES AREN'T POPULAR IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

This article comes from our electronic archive and has not been reviewed. It may contain glitches.

It was disappointing to learn last week that word games may be holding up $500,000 in already approved federal funding for the relocation of the Southeast Missouri Regional Crime Lab.

The crime lab is housed in a converted residence on North Henderson Street on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The services provided by the lab are widely used and relied upon by just about every law-enforcement agency in the area. There has been a need to replace the lab's cramped quarters for a long time.

A building on South Ellis Street that has been used by the university as a warehouse has been made available for the lab. Federal funding has been secured, mainly through the unstinting efforts of U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond.

But now the Justice Department is saying it thought the money was going to be used to renovate the existing lab, not remodel a warehouse for a new lab site. And, as you might guess, the funds are being held up.

The goal should be to give law enforcement the tools needed to solve crimes. Playing games with words may be a popular pastime these days in Washington, but this foolishness is letting criminals get away.