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.
The lab enhances the ability of law enforcement personnel to respond quickly in resolving cases and to get criminals off the streets. Cdr. Peters relates the story of three multiple sexual assault cases that occurred. The lab was able to provide information to detectives who discovered similarities as a result of communication and investigation and by obtaining the suspect's DNA. In another situation that involved two cases of a serial killer who was kidnapping women off the street, a suspect was apprehended as a result of the crime lab's assistance. "It was the analysis within the lab that allowed us to determine the two cases were involved," says Cdr. Peters.
Deb Rector, the Forensic Services Administrator for the Mesa Police Department, acknowledges that the publicity of CSI on television has influenced the public to have higher expectations regarding the investigation of crime scenes. "We try to think outside the box," she says.
With Mesa being a suburb of Phoenix, law enforcement officials recognize that criminals don't stop at the borders. Consequently, the Mesa crime lab may assist in cases with their sister cities - Tempe and Phoenix - which also have labs. In Tempe, a 73-year-old woman was brutally raped in broad daylight, and Mesa assisted with the case. It is understood that a crime that occurs in one of these areas can be just as dangerous to one city and vice versa.
Phoenix has its own full service crime lab covering the entire spectrum of crime and provides services for biological DNA testing, evidence processing, crime scene investigation response, controlled substances, toxicology, trace and arson, question documents, firearms, and latent print comparatives. The lab employs 103 operational staff under the direction of a police commander. A year ago, a new lab opened with 104,000 square feet and expanded from their previous facility of 19,000 square feet. The Phoenix lab also has new state-of-the art equipment and is specifically designed for to meet all regulations for the type of work that is done there.
The Phoenix lab evolved from a bond initiative and was met with a supportive response from the city government and community. "The community has been very excited. Citizens from the community sit in on bond hearings," says Ms. Judy Wolfe, Assistant Crime Laboratory Administrator for the Phoenix Police Department Crime Laboratory. "We continue to battle for resources. We are expected to do more for less," she says.
Acknowledging the importance of cooperation and collaboration, Ms. Wolf recognizes the need to establish effective working relationships and bring others to the table. "What is important is establishing working relationships with your law enforcement partners in the criminal justice system," she says. The Phoenix Lab has reached out to the National Institute of Justice and the National Forensic Science Technology Center as well as other local crime labs. Both the Phoenix and Mesa labs have worked together in solving cases that affect their jurisdictions that are in close proximity. They were involved in the joint investigation of the sniper shootings that occurred in their region a couple years ago. "In establishing these relationships, we appreciate all the support we've received and continue to seek," says Ms. Wolfe.
Solving crimes can frequently be a time consuming and challenging process that requires the services of highly skilled law enforcement officers, lab personnel, prosecutors, and allied professionals in the criminal justice system. Consistently, they perform their duties diligently in an integrated fashion and understand the importance of their roles in making a significant difference in the lives of victims and survivors. The crime labs of Mesa and Phoenix are exemplary models that highlight the important principles and purpose of effective criminal investigations and crime solving capabilities.
