County Crime Lab to Expand

Ventura County leaders approved a $5.2-million expansion of the sheriff’s crime lab, a much-needed project that should help it win a key national accreditation.

More than 20 years old and cramped, the lab has a pending application for accreditation with the American Society of Crime Lab Directors, said Cmdr. Brent Morris in the department’s special services division.

Such certification is not required for crime labs, but lends credibility to evidence that is analyzed when a case goes to trial.

“Not having it probably makes our lab employees undergo more scrutiny on the stand, and makes the D.A.’s job harder,” Morris said. “Having it makes a stronger presentation in court.”

Most of the funding for the expansion will come from a $3-million state grant that Ventura County supervisors accepted Tuesday, about $500,000 of which must be used for lab equipment.

The remainder will come from a $1.3-million, tax-free loan and money seized from narcotics busts, Morris said.

Renee Artman, crime lab manager, said the expansion will help ensure the facility wins national accreditation.

Ventura County’s lab is one of a handful in the state without that rating.

Space has been the primary roadblock, Artman said. The national group recommends 1,000 square feet of work space per scientist to prevent contamination of samples.

Ventura County’s lab has 258 square feet.

The crowded conditions have caused a backlog of evidence--particularly in the narcotics, DNA and firearms sections--slowed work and hurt employees’ morale, Artman said.

Construction could begin within the next six months.