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Written by Tim Gobble, Sheriff
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Thursday, 12 November 2009 |
Recently, Director of the TBI Mark Gwyn addressed a meeting of the Tennessee Sheriff's Association and informed those in attendance that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been directed by the Governor to cut their operating budget for the up coming year by nine percent, along with all other state agencies. As a result, Director Gwyn informed us that one budget-cutting option under consideration by the TBI was to begin charging local law enforcement agencies for using TBI Crime Lab services.
Most local law enforcement agencies do not have their own crime labs due to the high costs and to avoid duplicating lab services that have traditionally been provided by the state. As such, local agencies rely heavily on the TBI Crime Lab to conduct all types of lab work to enhance the public safety and help solve crime. Some of these services include blood/alcohol analysis to help convict suspected drunk drivers, drug identification services to help convict suspected drug dealers, fingerprint identification services, fiber analysis services, DNA testing and other tests to help identify and convict all types of thieves, burglars, robbers, rapists and murderers.
If the state begins charging local agencies like the BCSO for their lab services to help protect citizens and solve crime, the potential downside is clear. 1). We will be forced to cut back in other vital crime fighting areas that are already very lean. 2). We will have to request additional funding from the Bradley County Commission to cover the costs passed onto us by the state. 3). We will have to cut back on our lab requests, which in essence means cutting back on our local crime fighting efforts, which have paid off and made our area safer.
None of these options are good for our local community as our local budgets are also struggling to cope with higher costs and less tax revenue in a difficult economy. Tennessee already has what is reported to be the second highest violent crime rate per capita in the nation, with other crimes on the increase in some areas as well.
The number one responsibility of any government ~ local, state or federal ~ is to protect and defend its citizens. Not all government services are equal, some are more important than others. Across the board cuts, while well intended, often have unintended consequences that jeopardize the safety of people and cause governments to fail in their primary responsibility.
I urge the Governor and all state legislators to find the necessary cuts to balance the state's budget from less vital state expenditures instead of passing the states crime lab costs onto local governments or forcing us to cut back on vital public safety services to cover our increased costs.
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