Does Nashville Really Need A Crime Lab
Brian Haas of The Tennessean wrote a story about the proposed $15 million dollar crime lab project may have to be scaled back. The real question he should answer is why does The Nashville Metropolitan Police Department need a crime lab. First, the cost is $15 million when the Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation has a forensic lab right here in Davidson County. Second, I would suggest reading the National Academy Of Sciences Report " Strengthening Forensic Sciences, A Path Forward". The report is a detailed study into many complex problems with forensic science labs.
A major problem noted in the National Academy of Sciences report is that crime labs are often part of the law enforcement agencies, as opposed to independent agencies. The implication is that the possibility exists for bias, no matter how unintentional, toward the prosecution. In Nashville, the crime lab was strongly supported by former Chief of Police Serpas who is now being audited for alleged false crime statistics. Nashville has already had some problems when they created a ballistics department. For good science Nashville needs an independent forensic crime lab, not merely a rubber stamp. Plus, the city saves $15 million.
Who shall guard the guardians comes to mind.
