Crime Labs Flourish in Arizona

The Mesa Arizona Police Department can be proud of its brand new crime laboratory, and the department celebrated the grand opening on October 23, 2008. Prior to the development of this new state-of-the art enterprise, the lab that existed in Mesa for 28 years was based in a court building with a lack of space and operated largely out of holding cells and closets. The Four Hard Science disciplines - Controlled Substance (solid dosage drug identification), the Biology Unit (Serology and DNA Analysis), the Toxicology Unit (Blood, Alcohol, Urine, and Drug Screen Analysis) and the Firearms Unit - all shared a tiny office. It was not uncommon for workers to have to wait in line for the use of a table.

The Identification Bureau and crime scene personnel were housed in different buildings that resulted in difficulty collaborating between the units. The new lab triples the amount of space from the previous 15,000 square feet to the current 46,000 square feet. The identification section and lab is in one large facility that facilitates greater efficiency, a smoother work flow, and better morale. The lab employs 66 ½ personnel that includes management staff as well as a Crime Scene Processor, a Technician, and Director. The ventilation system is state-of-the-art, and it maximizes cost and efficiency. There is a large firing range and the Firearms Section can now test and fire weapons and match casings. The large indoor vault allows for placement of sample weapons. There are large meeting rooms on each floor that enable detectives from various disciplines to meet and strategize about crime scenes.

A needs assessment began the developmental process in 2001, and a bond election was held in 2003. With a $22 million package, construction began in June 2007. Lab personnel were highly involved in the design of the building. The lab benefits the city of Mesa tremendously because it maintains cost control, focuses on priorities, and enables efficient and faster turn-around time for detectives. "It's expensive to run a lab, but its value can't be understated," says Commander William Peters of the Mesa Police Department.

The building consists of three stories. The lab is on one side for each discipline, and on the other side of each story are offices. To access each lab, personnel have to walk through a vestibule, don lab coats, and wash themselves carefully to prevent cross contamination. With the new dedicated building, employees can walk upstairs or down the hall to communicate and efficiently coordinate with colleagues.

The population of the city of Mesa is approximately 465,000 people within a 135 square mile radius. The police department is comprised of 1400 employees, 855 of which are sworn. "We need a resource like this to effectively combat crime in our communities. It is a huge benefit to the department, the court, and the community" says Cdr. Peters. "Having a state-of-the art crime lab provides us with a great opportunity to enhance our public safety mission. Increasingly, effective crime fighting depends on law enforcement's ability to identify suspects and reconstruct an event quickly and accurately in order to facilitate the arrest and prosecution. Having this facility is going to increase our ability to save lives and protect the people we are sworn to serve," says Mesa Police Chief, George Gascon.