Plans are in place to make the Tri-County Regional Forensic Laboratory in Andover the state's next accredited DNA testing facility.
The lab, which is located at the Anoka County sheriff's office and has a cooperative agreement with Sherburne and Wright counties, will add three DNA scientists. The approximately $300,000 cost will be split between the counties.
The lab will start DNA testing next fall, said Anoka County Sheriff James Stuart. Currently, only the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension labs in St. Paul and Ely and the Hennepin County sheriff office's crime lab in Minneapolis can test DNA.
The new lab will help decrease the demand for DNA testing that is placed on the BCA lab, he said.
The lab also will increase staff that handles toxicology and latent prints testing.
"This was always the vision when the lab was built," said Stuart. "We are now ready to move forward."
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