Shovels hit the soil Wednesday morning as the Nebraska State Patrol broke ground on the expansion of their Crime Lab in Airpark. Colonel John Bulduc is the Nebraska State Patrol superintendent and says the $26 million expansion will increase the footprint of the existing Crime Lab from 31,000 square feet to 59,000 square feet.
“Our scientists analyze evidence for about 5,000 cases per year, but they simply need more room to operate.” He says the crime lab initially opened in 2015 and they immediately knew they would need to expand at some point.
The NSP Crime Lab provides evidence testing free of charge for law enforcement agencies across the entire state. Areas of expertise for NSP scientists include drug chemistry, biology/DNA, latent fingerprints, toxicology, and firearms and tool marks.
“The work these scientists do is on display in criminal prosecutions that occur throughout the entire state,” says Jason Linder, NSP Crime Lab Director. “Since 2015, the lab has seen a 23 percent increase in overall caseload submissions, including a 90 percent increase in cases involving DNA testing. This expansion will help us meet the demands for today and be prepared for the future.”
The expansion project will work in phases, making sure the existing Crime Lab remains operational throughout the project. This money for the project was included in Governor Pillen’s budget proposal and approved by the Nebraska Legislature in 2023.
The NSP Crime Lab has been in operation since 1973. The Lab moved to its current location in Lincoln’s Air Park neighborhood in 2015. The expansion project is expected to be complete and fully operational in 2026.
(Photo: Nebraska State Patrol)