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State asks $68.1 million to build Southern BCA lab in Mankato, expand Bemidji site as evidence demand rises
Summary
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension told the Capital Investment Committee the governor's bonding request would fund a new Southern regional lab in Mankato and expand the Bemidji lab to relieve severe space and equipment shortages driven by rising DNA, drug and digital evidence workloads.
The Department of Public Safety asked the Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 11 to fund a new Southern Bureau of Criminal Apprehension regional office and laboratory in Mankato and an expansion in Bemidji, raising the requested amount for the Mankato project to $68.1 million from a prior $48 million.
The request matters because the BCA says statewide evidence demand — from DNA and drug testing to digital evidence and internet-crimes tips — has outstripped current laboratory capacity and the agency is operating over design occupancy at its St. Paul headquarters.
"The governor and lieutenant governor put forward a strong proposal to help address current issues and the future needs for public safety in Minnesota," Commissioner Bob Jacobson told the committee. He said the three Department of Public Safety projects in the…
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