Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) promoted the completion of a new evidence and record storage facility at the Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) headquarters as a step toward ensuring public safety.
“If we are serious about public safety in our state, we have to provide law enforcement with every available tool – including infrastructure – to fight crime and ensure victims receive justice,” Lujan Grisham said in a press release from her office. “But, I want every law enforcement officer and New Mexican to know we are not stopping here. We appropriated more than $119 million in capital outlay for public safety last year alone, and we will continue to build on this progress.”
The $15.2 million, 31,000-square-foot Secure Storage Facility is located in Santa Fe. The facility allows the department to consolidate records and evidence storage in a modern, safe, and secure environment. It is updated with technology to ensure that evidence remains safe from the elements and other factors while in storage.
Features at the new facility include an efficient mobile storage system, a vehicle inspection building, and direct and secure access from the Law Enforcement Records Bureau in the main DPS building, the press release noted.
Jason Bowie, Department of Public Safety secretary, approved of the project.
“This facility is an investment in public safety across New Mexico,” he said. “This is an integral part of the department’s plan to protect the chain of custody of evidence [and] ensure efficient and effective record-keeping for generations.”
Up until this point, law enforcement officials and other staff members had to travel to district offices and various locations on the Santa Fe campus in order to access evidence.
Most of the funding for the new facility was appropriated by the Lujan Grisham administration, along with $25.4 million for a new, 44,000-square-foot forensic lab that is slated for completion in 2023, according to the press release. The Santa Fe lab is currently housed in a 43-year-old, 10,000-square-foot space.
The construction of the Secure Storage Facility was managed by the General Services Department.