Huntsville Criminal Investigation Division to get new building across from HPD headquarters

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – The Huntsville Police Department says its eight-person crime scene investigation team has worked in cramped quarters for years. However, a new 14,000-square-foot building is on the way to provide relief for the team.

The Huntsville City Council approved the building’s construction at their meeting Thursday evening.

The City of Huntsville says the building, which will be constructed on Wheeler Avenue across from HPD headquarters, will include labs, offices, 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.

The project also includes a 13,500-square-foot, climate-controlled vehicle and evidence storage facility.

“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.”

Phipps added that the new CSI facility will meet the department’s need for growth, saying that the additional space will allow for more room to work more than one case at a time while protecting evidence from cross-contamination.

The City says the $9.7 million project is expected to begin in the late spring and take a year to complete.

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