Attorney General DeWine, President Mazey break ground for new BCI facility

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Bowling Green State University President Mary Ellen Mazey today joined community leaders and local law enforcement for the groundbreaking of the new Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) laboratory on the campus of Bowling Green State University (BGSU).

“This new facility will enhance the laboratory and investigative services we provide to our law enforcement partners in Northwest Ohio,” said Attorney General DeWine.  “We’ll also be able to work with BGSU to advance forensic science in Ohio and help prepare our state’s next generation of scientists and investigators.”

"The collaborative possibilities between the University and the BCI lab are endless," said Mazey. "Not only will it enhance our already strong science and criminal justice programs, we will be able to offer a number of research opportunities to develop new cutting edge techniques."

The new BCI facility will elevate BGSU to the select group of colleges nationally that have on-campus crime labs.  BGSU will begin offering forensics as an undergraduate specialization this fall through the departments of criminal justice, chemistry, and biology to help students prepare for careers in public safety and forensic sciences. 

The expanded BCI location will encompass about 30,000 square feet and serve law enforcement and prosecutors in a 22-count area with on-site laboratory and investigative resources.   The building will be built at North College Drive and Leroy Avenue, and will cost $11.9 million.  It will replace the current BCI regional office on East Wooster Street and is expected to be completed by fall 2014.

Services at both the current and new facility include:

BCI On-Site Laboratory Services

• Chemistry
• Criminal Polygraph Examination
• Evidence Receiving
• Firearms / Ballistics / Toolmark Examination
• Forensic Biology
• Latent Fingerprint
• Trace Analysis

BCI On-Site Investigative Services

• Crime Scene Unit
• Crimes Against Children Unit
• Criminal Intelligence Unit
• Narcotics Unit
• Special Investigation Unit

The SSOE Group was selected as the project architect, and Quandel Construction Group will build the laboratory.