$24M North Louisiana Crime Lab in Jeopardy of Closure Amid Funding Shortage
According to the lab director, they need to collect $400 for every case they work. Currently, the lab makes $168 per case, creating a funding shortcoming of over $3 million.
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A $24 million North Louisiana Crime Lab is in jeopardy of closure as growing funding concerns have plagued the lab, Stacey Cameron reports for KSLA News. The lab processes about 15,000 shreds of evidence yearly, assisting police and prosecutors in 29 parishes to find and convict suspects in drug, firearms and murder cases.
However, the lab’s director Joseph Jones projects the price tag of their work is $6 million. Court fines and fees under the parishes the lab serves should pay for the service, allowing the lab to collect $400 for every worked case. However, the lab is currently making $168 per case, creating a funding shortcoming of over $3 million. The lab is currently working on getting more funding from lawmakers, including receiving funding from the Department of Public Safety’s budget.
