Charleston PD to open new forensic services building on Monday

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston Police Department will open a new facility for its forensic services division on Monday.

It comes after a study in 2007 emphasized the need to consolidate services into one central building.

The state-of-the-art facility, located off Bees Ferry Road, is approximately 22,000 square feet and will be an accredited crime lab that will assist with crime scene investigation, seized drug analysis, body fluid identification, serial number identification, digital and forensic video examination among other services.

Officials say it’s a necessity for the force.

The Charleston Police Department says they hope to include a DNA lab soon and certify their site to deal with ballistic evidence.

Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 1:00 p.m., it will not be open to the public due to COVID-19. It will be live-streamed on the City of Charleston Facebook page at www.facebook.com/citycharleston.