The future of the state crime lab in Bowling Green may now be less murky.
The Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation is not only staying in the city — it might be
doubling in size.
Tom Stickrath, the state’s BCII superintendent, visited the crime lab
Wednesday to start exploring options for expanding the facility.
Stickrath said he has spoken with the landlord about an expansion at the
lab’s current site on the east side of Bowling Green, and he met with
officials from Bowling Green State University about building an entirely
new facility.
“The attorney general and I are committed to staying here,” Stickrath said Wednesday.
But that may not mean staying in the current offices at Greenwood
Centre, off East Wooster Street, since the crime lab has outgrown its
current space.
For years, BCII has been located in the former Great Scot grocery store
space. But the addition of more employees, more equipment and more
criminal investigation demands has created a need for more square
footage.
“I would like more space and more efficient space,” he said.
In the current facility, crime investigators have to walk through one
lab to get to another. The ballistics expert has to travel to another
lab to do some longer-range bullet tests. The garage is a tight squeeze
as vehicles are hoisted up for inspections.
Wednesday’s announcement is the most recent piece of a puzzle about the
future of the BCII lab. A couple years ago fears surfaced about the
crime lab moving to Toledo. This past summer, new Ohio Attorney General
Mike DeWine assured local officials that the lab would remain in Bowling
Green. And then earlier this month concerns were expressed because BCII
moved its DNA analysis lab from Bowling Green to Richfield.
Stickrath said that decision was made strictly because of the highly
technical robotic equipment needed for the DNA testing. On Wednesday,
Stickrath said that decision was already paying off with faster
processing of DNA evidence from crime scenes.
And considering the 25 percent increase in DNA caseloads statewide, that speed is essential, he said.
But Stickrath emphasized that the DNA lab change was not a precursor to more moves from the facility.
“We’re committed to staying in the community,” he said.
In fact, Stickrath said the BCII staff in Bowling Green has grown from
29 to 34 this year, with another five to be hired in the next couple
weeks. A staff of 12 gaming agents will also be added for the casino in
Toledo.
The Bowling Green office also added new evidence analysis equipment, with three pieces alone costing
$70,000 each.
Short term renovations are being made to accommodate the additional
staff and equipment — but more space will be needed soon, Stickrath
said. The current facility is 18,972 square feet, but as much as twice
that amount would be helpful, he said.
The Bowling Green lab was used to help solve 4,500 crimes last year, processing nearly 80,000 items of
evidence.
The lab has the staff and equipment to test forensic items such as
blood, semen and saliva; bullets, fingerprints, paint, glass, footwear
and trace evidence such as recent tests on wax and metal shavings found
in a bowl of chili. They also do polygraph testing.
“They do a lot of connecting the dots,” Stickrath said of the staff.
Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson said this morning that he
had heard of BCII’s plans to expand in Bowling Green. He had raised
concerns earlier this month when the DNA lab moved.
“At this point I’m going to maintain a cautious optimism,” Dobson said.
He shared the concern that the crime lab be effective.
“I want it doing valuable work for the people here and the people of Ohio,” Dobson said.
