In the midst of pitching his $1.7 billion fiscal 2026 budget to Shelby County commissioners, Mayor Lee Harris proposed a $5.5 million “focused” crime lab to serve the county’s various law enforcement agencies.
While commissioners largely agreed on the need for the facility, they held off on approving the funding amount during a Wednesday, June 4, Budget Subcommittee meeting, opting instead to include input from partner agencies and other stakeholders.
“I think it is reasonable to bring in other folks as financial contributors to the goal, in that we put in the upfront money,” said committee chair Miska Clay Bibbs.
Her suggestion was well received. Discussions with stakeholders are reportedly already underway.
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner leads weekly meetings with police chiefs from various municipalities. Commissioners expressed interest in also involving representatives from the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission and contributors to an ongoing crime lab feasibility study due in August.
“The sheriff shared with me (that) it’s a pretty robust organization,” Bibbs said.
According to several commissioners, leadership in Collierville and Bartlett have already been briefed on the proposal and responded positively.
If approved as part of the fiscal 2026 budget, the lab would become a recurring expense. Still, with Harris term-limited, he acknowledged the administration would be hard-pressed to spend the full $5.5 million in his final year in office.
If fully funded, the lab would focus on three key forensic areas: cell phone forensics, rapid DNA testing and ballistics investigations. Due to current demand and limited resources, local police departments currently reserve cell phone and ballistic analysis for homicide cases only.
“The idea is to take county resources to expand our capacity in those three areas,” said Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. “If we did that, we would significantly expand our forensic capabilities, increase our solve rate and make a big stride forward for public safety.”
Cell phone forensics: The “lowest hanging fruit”
Cell phone data is often described as a “treasure trove of information,” revealing a suspect’s contacts, whereabouts and more. But Memphis Police Department currently limits phone cracking to homicide cases because of capacity constraints.
The estimated cost for analysts, software, storage and training is $1.25 million annually.
“I would like to have the ability to do it not just in a small subset of cases, but as an investigative tool — do it throughout,” said Mulroy.
Rapid DNA: Faster suspect identification
Another $1.5 million would be allocated to rapid DNA testing, which dramatically speeds up the time it takes to receive results. Traditional tests can take months, while rapid testing can produce results in hours.
If funded, DNA would be collected both at crime scenes and during suspect bookings, then compared to look for matches. Annual operating costs would run approximately $1.25 million.
“In the first few days when you’re investigating a crime — when it’s most crucial — you could use rapid DNA to identify suspects or eliminate them,” Mulroy said.
Currently, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson office handles DNA testing for all sex crimes in Shelby County. Mulroy emphasized the county’s lab would not compete with TBI but instead fill local gaps.
“The idea is to complement what TBI is doing in key, focused areas where there is a local need,” he said.
Ballistics: High cost, long timelines
Ballistics would require the most investment and patience. For example, Houston — home to the nation’s largest ballistics department — still averages about 80 days for results. Nashville’s average wait is over 200 days. When TBI is involved, turnaround times can extend from 70 weeks to more than 16 months.
Annual costs to staff and operate a local ballistics unit are also estimated at $1.25 million. Training a certified firearms examiner takes two to three years.
“Adding an additional firearms examiner or two would likely decrease the time … we are above average,” said Mulroy.
Administrative costs and potential location
A one-time administrative cost of $1 million would also be included to cover the lab setup.
Mulroy said the county is already well-positioned to handle more forensic responsibilities. A partnership exists between the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Additional vendors could be brought in for specialized services.
“It feels like this conversation is well-timed, because we are in a great position in terms of advisory capacity,” he said.
Mayor Harris said the most likely home for the lab would be the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center on Poplar. “We own the land around it,” he said. “We would bring back a proposal if this moves forward, to eventually expand that footprint because we’ve got plenty of room there.”
