TACIR hears wide-ranging testimony on crime-lab capacity, backlogs and training needs

A Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) panel on Dec. 19 reviewed a legislative study prompted by Senate Bill 2877 and House Bill 2961 that asked whether Tennessee needs additional crime laboratories, starting with Shelby County.

The study will evaluate current laboratory capacity, processing backlogs and possible locations for new facilities; TACIR staff said a draft will be available for review in spring 2025 and a final report in summer 2025. The city of Memphis and Shelby County are conducting separate, local studies that TACIR will consider in its work.

Why it matters: Forensic laboratories are central to criminal investigations and prosecutions. Panelists told commissioners that recent improvements in some disciplines have reduced inventories and turnaround times, but significant backlogs remain in others — and the principal bottleneck is trained personnel, not necessarily buildings.

TACIR staff member Madison Thorne briefed commissioners that the Senate measure passed while the House companion did not, and that Representative Ryan Williams asked TACIR to broaden the scope to statewide feasibility and capacity. Thorne said the commission intends to assess existing lab capacity and potential locations with an eye toward statewide impacts.

Assistant Director Mike Little of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation(TBI) Forensic Services…