Lungren Seeks Funds for State Crime Labs
Saying the state’s forensic crime labs are “literally on the brink of collapse,” Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren has sent a letter to the Legislature warning that the labs could lose their accreditation without increased funding.
In a letter dated Wednesday, Lungren cited a study commissioned by the Department of General Services and conducted by Ruth and Going Inc., an architectural firm specializing in crime lab design and inspection.
According to Lungren, the firm’s review found that seven California Department of Justice forensic crime labs are at “severe risk” of losing national accreditation by the American Society of Crime Lab Directors.
Lungren is asking for $21.7 million in funding for the labs, which he said endured funding cuts from 1991 to 1994.
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