Crime lab targeted … again

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November 14, 2009

John Oxford The Moultrie Observer Sat Nov 14, 2009, 10:46 PM EST

MOULTRIE — Despite several efforts by law enforcement to keep it open, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will close the Southwestern Regional crime lab in Moultrie and two other crime labs by March 31.

GBI Public Affairs Director John Bankhead said the GBI was contacted by the governor’s office recently there was not enough revenue available to keep all eight GBI crime labs open. After much consideration, the GBI made the difficult decision to close down the Moultrie, Columbus and Summerville crime lab locations.

“There just is not enough money to keep those three labs open,” Bankhead said. “It was a difficult decision to make, but it was a business decision that had to be made.”

The main reasons why the Moultrie lab was chosen was the cost to maintain the facility, staffing issues, the limited number of services offered and the volume of cases done at the lab, Bankhead said. When a cost per case analysis was done, the Moultrie lab had relatively high costs per case compared to some of the other GBI labs.

Bankhead said there are only three scientists at the Moultrie lab, including two toxicologists and one for drug identification. The scientists and other employees at the lab have been offered the opportunity to transfer to any of the other five labs that will remain open.

The GBI Crime Lab in Moultrie covers 27 counties in Georgia from the Alabama border to Wilcox County to along I-75. It performs alcohol proof, blood alcohol, drugs and toxicology tests. With the Moultrie lab’s closure, the closest crime lab for tests will be in Macon, which law enforcers say will provide hardships for the counties it now serves.

Moultrie Police Chief Frank Lang said it was unfortunate the lab is closing because so many small, rural departments depend on it. With his department already tight on staffing, it will be extremely difficult for an officer to run to Macon or Atlanta for testing.

“The lab here was such as tremendous asset to the community,” Lang said. “This really places a hardship on rural department and municipalities of Georgia.”

Lang said he hopes the community will encourage the Georgia Legislature and Gov. Sonny Perdue’s office to reconsider closing the lab here. The lab had originally been scheduled to be closed by July 1, but funding was provided to keep the labs open until March 31. Bankhead said no money is available beyond that point.

Rep. Ed Rynders, R-Albany, who represents part of Colquitt County in the Georgia Legislature, said subcommittees will review the GBI’s budget requests relative to the Moultrie lab closing. The GBI feels closing the labs will help it reach its percent of requested cuts, but it will have to justify the closures before the Legislature’s subcommittee, which could help keep it open.

“I certainly wouldn’t give up hope,” Rynders said. “Everything is being driven by the economy now. We will all fight for our district and our region.”

Rynders was among a delegation that helped keep the lab open this summer, and he said the GBI will have to explain why closing the lab is the best route for them to reach the requested cuts when the Legislature goes back into session.

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