The town of Gilbert announced April 22 that it will not pursue a joint crime lab project with the city of Chandler, choosing instead to develop its own forensic facility as part of a long-term public-safety strategy.
In a statement, Gilbert officials emphasized their commitment to providing exceptional service and ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.
The town is planning significant investments over the next decade, including the construction of the Gilbert Advocacy Center, a new police substation in the southern region, an expansion of the Public Safety Building and the creation of a dedicated crime lab.
While Chandler is prepared to move forward immediately, having already made key decisions on location and design services, Gilbert requires additional time for critical planning and research, according to Gilbert’s statement.
“We are grateful to our neighbors at the City of Chandler for exploring this option with us,” the statement read.
The decision comes amid concerns about the sustainability of Gilbert's current arrangement with the Mesa Police Department for crime lab services.
Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg told town council last year at a financial retreat that Gilbert’s work is not a priority in Mesa and there is a concern that Mesa’s load may increase to the point where it says it can longer do other departments’ cases.
Because of that possibility, Gilbert negotiated a five-year out in its last intergovernmental agreement with Mesa on the work, meaning Mesa would have to give the town five years’ notice if it is going to stop doing GPD case work.
Chandler, for its part, has been planning its own crime lab facility. The city secured a voter-approved bond in 2021 to build a facility and has had $65 million budgeted for it, but council members balked at the price tag, leading city administration to pause the project.
Gilbert's decision to proceed independently reflects a desire to control costs, ensure timely processing of evidence and maintain autonomy in public safety operations. Gilbert’s statement promised a “fiscally prudent approach” to securing its own lab.
The town will continue its efforts to explore how a crime lab can best meet the needs and expectations of the community while safeguarding the overall investment, according to the statement.
We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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