Voters To Determine Future Of State Crime Lab
EL PASO, TX. – An item voters will see on the ballot involves one of the Texas Constitutional Amendment Election and could put criminal investigation analyses in hands of El Paso’s own investigators.
It’s a proposition trying to approve extra cash to build a state crime lab here in our area. If voters agree with law enforcement experts and those in favor of this measure, a $7.1 million dollar crime lab will soon call El Paso home.
The lab will be run by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and serve many different law enforcement agencies in our area. “Our testing enables investigators in Texas to bring closure to cases which helps both the criminal justice system or court system and then also the individuals that were affected by these crimes,” said the Deputy Assistant Director for Crime Laboratories, Brady Mills.
Currently, most criminal evidence in the borderland is sent off to Austin for analysis. Those in favor of a local crime lab say this will help to solve cases faster. Cases involving ballistics examinations,DNA sampling, or even latent prints analysis would be investigated here in the Sun City.
The measure will also allow for funding that would handle more drug cases, locally. El Pasoans say they are in favor of it.”Anytime there is any type of bureaucracy involved where you have to move out ofthe city, things are going to be delayed,” said Ken Pivarnick, a resident whovoted earlier Monday.
“I think it would help solve crimes faster, and maybe it would bring some more high-tech, high paying jobs to El Paso.I think it would be wonderful,”addedearly voter Edward Day.Early voting began Monday. The actual election day is on November 6th.
