BYLINE: Meta Pettus
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Washington, DC
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The District of Columbia police department is opening a new $20 million evidence warehouse that officials say will make it easier to store and retrieve guns, drugs and other contraband recovered from crime scenes.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier toured the building in the city's Southwest section on Tuesday and said it was a huge improvement over the current evidence warehouse. She said the project was four years in the making and was completed ahead of schedule and $700,000 under budget.
Evidence stored at the warehouse will be electronically scanned and processed. There's also a refrigerator and a freezer to store DNA evidence sensitive to temperature.
Police officials say the building holds 20,000 square feet of storage space, and the remaining 10,000 square feet is for administrative use.
Read the statement about the new warehouse from D.C. Police below:
(Washington, DC) Today, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Cathy L. Lanier and Department of Real Estate Services (DRES) Interim Director Brian J. Hanlon officially marked the opening of the new, state-of-the-art Evidence Warehouse. The facility handles all seized MPD property evidence and integrates advanced technology and best practices to ensure safe and responsible storage. The project was completed eight weeks ahead of schedule and is approximately $700,000 under-budget.
"On behalf of the Metropolitan Police Department, I am thrilled to announce the completion of the Evidence Warehouse," said Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier. "This facility will serve as a national industry leader in the secure storage and management of evidence and property. It also allows for more efficient retrieval of items for laboratory testing and court proceedings.
MPD partnered with the Department of Real Estate Services (DRES), who managed the design and construction process for the Evidence Warehouse. The 30,000 square feet building is comprised of 10,000 square feet of administrative area for MPD and 20,000 square feet of storage space.
"I'm pleased to stand with Chief Lanier and announce the completion this mission-critical facility," said DRES Interim Director Brian J. Hanlon. "DRES is especially proud of this collaborative effort because it was completed ahead of schedule and is significantly under-budget."
The new Evidence Warehouse facility is located near the former DC Village emergency shelter at DC Village Lane, SW. As an incentive to the general contractor, the project included a shared savings and early completion clause. As a result, the general contractor will receive a bonus of approximately $200,000 and the District will keep the remaining $500,000 in savings.
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International Association for Property and Evidence
"Law Enforcement Serving the Needs of Law Enforcement"
www.IAPE.org