Crime Lab’s New Price Tag Comes as Shock : Technology: The preliminary estimate of $85 million for the regional facility is more than three times what officials expected.

A preliminary estimate of $85 million for a new countywide crime lab has startled San Diego law enforcement officials, who last year thought the regional forensics facility would cost less than a third that amount.

“Let’s just say we all got sticker shock when we saw that,” Assistant San Diego Police Chief Ken Fortier said. “It’s time to do a little reality check.”

A San Jose consulting firm came up with the figure, based on a “wish list” forensics lab of 160,000 to 200,000 square feet.

The lab would be staffed with more than 200 employees doing crime work for agencies including San Diego police, San Diego County sheriff’s deputies, the county medical examiner’s office, the county district attorney’s office and several city police departments.

Ruth & Going Inc., the consulting firm, asked a number of law enforcement agencies what type of equipment, technology and staffing should be included in a new state-of-the-art crime lab.

The company developed the wish list of features and came up with the multimillion-dollar estimate, which does not include the cost of land for the lab. Including property costs, the project could cost $100 million.

A year ago, law enforcement officials estimated the cost of a lab at about $27 million.

Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller said he expects the price to be lowered as the estimate is refined. The lab is essential, he said, if the county is to conduct investigations more quickly and thoroughly.

“We need all of the modern equipment necessary to be self-sufficient in this jurisdiction,” Miller said. “When that occurs, we won’t have to send lab samples all over the country at a very high cost.”

Miller and other officials said it is vital that local forensics work be done to help track down suspects, rather than doing the work once a suspect is in custody and the case is being prepared for trial.

“A lot of cases are not even made because of our dismal lab work,” he said.

Although a better crime lab is needed, the possibility of getting the two-thirds voter approval needed to sell bonds to finance it is dim, county Sheriff Jim Roache said.

Even with approval of a proposed statewide constitutional amendment to allow criminal justice and education programs to be funded by a simple majority vote, the lab might be rejected, he said.

“This lab is considerably more than initially estimated,” Roache said. “I don’t know that any taxing measure is advisable. Even with a majority vote for a facility half the cost, it will be difficult.”

Miller has suggested that the issue of the lab be placed on the November, 1992, ballot.

The San Diego Police Department is moving ahead with its own plans for a testing lab to process DNA samples, with a price tag of $150,000 to $200,000.

The proposed regional lab would include improved technology for blood-alcohol analysis, toxicology, ballistics and other criminal-evidence gathering.

The consultant has been asked to review its cost estimates and begin a survey to determine how the new lab would stack up against other large cities and counties, said Fortier, the assistant San Diego police chief.

Roache is convinced that further refinement can take place.

“Maybe a grandiose crime lab with all the amenities and services is not what is needed for right now,” he said. “Maybe we need to scale back with all the economic problems we have in this state and county.”