Solving crimes in Tulsa could soon happen faster. A new building that will house a forensics lab and property room is almost complete.
Crews broke ground on the Oklahoma State University Forensics Science Center and Biomedical Research Center in February.
Students will learn in the best of environments, hands on.
Tulsa Police Department employees say they can't wait to work in more than triple the space they are used to.
It's a tight squeeze in the TPD forensics lab, where each piece of expensive equipment should sit surrounded by about 8 feet of space, instead, it's less than 4.
"We have an extraction room that is very small, we are working with 2 people that are running into each other constantly," said Tara Balouch, Technical Manager of Toxicology.
Tara Balouch is looking forward to the move to the new site on the OSU campus.
"I came from a laboratory that had a nice space and I know how important it is," said Balouch.
"The rule of thumb, is a thousand square feet per person, per scientist," said Director Mike Boese.
Thats another rule of thumb not met.
Boese says the $38-million site will allow DNA processing, latent fingerprint analysis, and solving cases, to become much more efficient.
OSU Employees, students, and city leaders signed the strobic fans that will sit atop the new building. The city paid a $19-million portion.
"I remember, it seems like only yesterday that we were out here digging dirt to turn this thing over, and I drive by here everyday on my way to work and I am just amazed at how they have done so much in so little time," said Tulsa Police Chief Ron Palmer.
The move from downtown headquarters, to the west side couldn't happen faster.
"We'd never thought we would see this day, and there are still some nay sayers, but now that they have seen the building go up, it's a fact and we can not wait to move in," said Tara Balouch.
The new facility opens in February of 2010.
