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County officials say crime lab needs outgrew existing space; project estimate rose from $1M to about $2M
Summary
County staff briefed the budget committee on crime-lab space pressures, evidence storage challenges and that the 2024 $1 million placeholder for the crime lab likely understates the current need, with present estimates closer to $2 million for build-out.
The committee heard that Davis County's crime lab and evidence storage capacity is strained and that a 2024 budget placeholder of $1 million is now considered insufficient for the envisioned build-out.
Curtis Cove, county controller, told the committee that the 2024 budget included $1 million for a crime-lab build-out above the jail, but as project scoping continued contractors and staff estimated the total would be nearer $2 million. Cove said the county already has the shelled second-floor space above the jail set aside for the build-out and that the $2 million would mainly pay for infrastructure: walls, ventilation, shelving and other lab-specific systems.
Staff described temporary work-arounds used to manage backlog and evidence storage, including relocating exercise equipment and repurposing work-center space for interim evidence storage. Committee members asked about staffing and revenues for the crime lab; staff said the lab generates little direct revenue and is a centralized county function that serves jurisdictions across the county.
Cove said that moving forward with a crime-lab capital project is contingent on funding and on related campus decisions, such as land-lease proceeds tied to the tourism fund; he recommended advancing related property and leasing work to create a funding path for projects including the crime lab.
