Wisconsin State Crime Lab tour, officials get behind-the-scenes look
Push for Wisconsin State Crime Lab staff
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and others hosted legislators for a look at the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory in Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and others hosted legislators for a behind-the-scenes look at the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory in Milwaukee on Tuesday, March 4.
Why you should care:
Kaul and members of district attorney's offices from across the state said Wisconsin State Crime Labs need more analysts. Although you may never have seen analysts at work, they've most likely affected your life one way or another.
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"Our cases are directly impacted by the work done at the lab," said Megan Newport, Milwaukee County deputy district attorney.
The three Wisconsin State Crime Lab locations – Milwaukee, Madison and Wausau – employ more than 190 people who play a crucial role in the criminal justice system.
Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory in Milwaukee
"We don’t get to finish doing our jobs to get justice for victims until they’ve had a chance to do their jobs here," said Jason Sanders, Rock County district attorney.
Sanders said the labs face staffing issues. That's why he and Kaul are pleading for more funding and resources.
"In this budget we are again asking for a significant investment to be made, we asked for 19 positions for the labs," said Kaul.
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Kaul said there are 64 analysts working at the Milwaukee lab, but it's not enough when factoring in thousands of pieces of evidence they got on a daily basis. Sanders said delays from labs can cause court cases and trials to drag.
"We know a lot of this hold-up is because we have failed to make as much of an investment in our crime labs as we need to," Sanders said.
What's next:
Kaul said, in about a year, Milwaukee's lab will move into a new facility in Wauwatosa. Gov. Tony Evers just announced $20 million in funding for the building.
Tour of State Crime Lab in Milwaukee
Wisconsin's attorney general offered legislators a behind-the-scenes look at the state crime lab in Milwaukee.
For now, leaders hope lawmakers who toured the lab will understand the need to staff it.
"I’m begging them to take that back with them," Sanders said.
Kaul said, of the 19 positions he's asking for, 13 would be DNA and controlled substance analysts. He said he could not say how much those positions would cost the state, but he believes Wisconsin can afford it.
The Source: The information in this post was provided in part by the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and other local leaders.