TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Dec 11, 2024

Criminal justice leaders in Memphis are advocating for the construction of a local crime lab, arguing that faster evidence processing could increase crime-solving rates. An October study by The Precision Criminal Justice Consulting LLC estimates the cost to build a local crime lab at $50 million. According to the Daily Memphian, this would be double the cost of building the current crime lab used by Memphis and Shelby County, which is located in Jackson. The annual operating cost of the proposed lab would be similar to that of Nashville’s crime lab, which has an $11 million yearly budget, according to the report. In a separate development, state Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, introduced a bill in the state legislature last session that mandates a feasibility study on the impact of a local crime lab. The study is expected to be completed by Dec. 19.