Columbus Consolidated Government
Referrals From Mayor and Council-12/09/2008
Subject Crime Lab
Description Have the Finance staff to do some calculations and run the numbers
to determine what the cost would be for a possible one-year cost-sharing
program to look at keeping the Crime Lab open. (Request of Councilor Baker)
Let?s also check and see if there is a possibility that we could use some of
the drug forfeitures money that the Police Department receives to possibly fund
the Crime Lab. Also, look and see if there is some Federal funding available;
as well as contact the National League of Cities to see if they can offer some
assistance in this matter. (Request of Councilor Woodson)
Received From
Assigned To Pamela Hodge, Rick Boren, Julius Ross
Please enter a date mm/dd/yy before any comments are added.
Response Any information from the State Crime Lab will have to come from the
GBI in Atlanta. It was the GBI Budget cuts under GBI Director Vernon Keenon
that cut the Columbus Lab from their Budget. The director of the Columbus Lab
Johann Claussens has already been transferred to Atlanta and existing personnel
have been placed on notice that their jobs will be transferred to other labs
somewhere in the State of Georgia. The satellite labs that have been left open
are as a result of a strong state delegation at the Capitol in Atlanta. We also
have to realize that this lab serves 19 counties in Georgia for some services
and another 27 counties when dealing with firearm ballistic services. This is a
regional lab and not just a local lab.
We should also remember that our local drug units totally function on the
seized monies that are brought in by the drug units. We have NO budget for the
drug units in this county. We make all the purchases for the units (cars,
surveillance equipment, drug purchases, street operations, K-9 services,
informant pay and any other costs) with this money. There are also laws which
spell out what can and can't be purchased with this money. Director Hodge has
in her possession one of the last e-mails that governed the use of the funds.
01/23/09 - The Finance Department has requested information from the State of
Georgia on the budget required to operate the Crime Lab. This will be
forwarded once it is received. PHodge
Closed Date
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