Arkansas purchases $4 million-plus 19-acre site in NLR for new crime lab

State officials are saying improvements in processing quality and speed for the Arkansas crime lab are on the way after a land purchase in North Little Rock.

A spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Public Safety said the agency purchased 19 acres in North Little Rock to build a new state-of-the-art Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. The site is between 5301 and 5300 North Shore Drive and was purchased for $4.095 million, they said.

By: Alex Kienlen
KNWA

State officials are saying improvements in processing quality and speed for the Arkansas crime lab are on the way after a land purchase in North Little Rock.

A spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Public Safety said the agency purchased 19 acres in North Little Rock on Thursday to build a new state-of-the-art Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. The site is between 5301 and 5300 North Shore Drive and was purchased for $4.095 million, they said.

Officials said the purchase marked the end of a nine-month process to find an appropriate site, which began in January when the Arkansas Legislative Council authorized the purchase.

The site will house a 180,000-square-foot building, which officials said had its design finalized in 2023. A spokesperson said the legislature has set aside $200 million for its construction.

DPS Secretary Col. Mike Hagar said the new lab will be state-of-the-art.

“Once completed, the new State Crime Lab will be equipped with the latest technology and facilities,” Hagar said. “This will allow the lab to continue conducting scientific analyses and investigations to help solve crimes across the state.”

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