ShawneeDispatch.com

Shawnee — At a recent community celebration one of our neighbors asked me about the planned new crime lab.

His questions reflected our shared concern for spending tax dollars, the necessity of a new crime lab and of course, the safety of our community. They are the same questions the County Commission has been discussing.

The new crime lab is a necessary component to keep our community safe and ensure justice. As your commissioner I have successfully pushed the County Commission to put the crime lab on the list of items paid for by the sales tax renewal the community will be voting on next Aug. 5.

What is the role of a crime lab? To process evidence in support of identifying and arresting suspects in crimes; Jurors, in the age of TV shows like "CSI," have increased expectations of the evidence necessary to eliminate reasonable doubt. A modern crime lab is necessary to support these expectations.

How much will the new crime lab cost? $27 million in today's dollars.

Why does it cost that much? The 51,000-square-foot building costs $25 million, which is about three times the cost of a standard office building. Additional scientific support equipment adds another $2 million. The high price results from the precise climate necessary to maintain the integrity of genetic and microscopic evidence. Unfortunately, not just any vacant building can be converted into a crime lab.

Does the county have a crime lab now? Yes, there is a 15,000-square-foot crime lab in Mission.

Why is a new one needed? The current crime lab is 1/3 of the recommended size and has little room for economical expansion. The insufficient space creates inefficient workflows and increases the possibility for evidence contamination. Remember the O.J. trial, where evidence contamination was one of the pillars of his defense? I think we all want the integrity of evidence to be above reproach so we get the right bad guy.

Do cities have advanced crime labs? No, the crime lab is a prime example of how local governments in Johnson County use countywide taxes to cooperate and save us money instead of competing and duplicating. Cooperation in the public safety arena occurs with the Med Act ambulance, jail and booking facilities, fire dispatching and on a more limited, but hopefully growing basis, police dispatching.

Why not share a crime lab with other entities in the area? The benefits of a regional lab have been examined; however, the volume of evidence processed by the county is great enough to support the economy of a stand-alone lab. A centrally located crime lab in the county makes the transportation of evidence more efficient for our local police departments. Its planned location adjacent to the county emergency communications center will save money on security and staffing.

Why do we need a sales tax to pay for it? The $3 million annual capital and operating expenses are less than 20 percent of the revenue expected from the half-cent sales tax, which is why there are three other public safety projects relying on the sales tax. Without the sales tax, the crime lab will certainly not be possible, because an expanded jail under construction depends completely on the sales tax for its $14 million annual operating cost. If the sales tax fails, there will be no crime lab, and instead there will be cuts to services or a property tax increase to keep the expanded jail cells open so that the bad guys continue to stay locked up.

If you have questions please contact me: (913) 715-0432 or john.segale@jocogov.org or personally visit me at one of my upcoming coffee chats.

John Segale, a former Shawnee City Council member, is 2nd District County Commissioner.