Huntsville approves construction for new CSI building

Published on April 25, 2024

The City’s eight-person crime scene investigation team (CSI) team in the Huntsville Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division has worked in cramped quarters for years. Relief is on the way in the form of a new 14,000-square-foot investigation building complete with labs, office space, evidence processing areas and vehicle processing bays.

“We have the advanced technology in place for crime scene analysis, but we need dedicated space to be more efficient and process evidence faster,” said Police Chief Kirk Giles.

A new CSI building will be constructed on Wheeler Avenue across from Huntsville Police Headquarters. The project also includes a separate, climate-controlled 13,500-square-foot facility for vehicle and evidence storage.

“The law requires us to hold evidence for years, and in some cases in perpetuity,” said Investigator Jeremy Phipps. “The new warehouse will allow us to meet legal storage requirements for decades to come.”

Along with providing additional secure storage, Phipps says the new CSI facility will also meet the department’s needs for growth.

“The additional space will allow us to add more equipment for processing evidence and the room to work multiple cases at one time while securely protecting evidence from cross-contamination,” he said.

Pearce Construction has the green light to proceed with the $9.7 million project. Work is expected to begin in late spring and should take one year to complete.