Nebraska State Patrol breaks ground on Crime Lab expansion

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - The Nebraska State Patrol officially broke ground on an expansion for the NSP Crime Laboratory during a ceremony Wednesday in Air Park.

The golden shovels in the ground symbolize a $26 million dollar expansion to their current crime lab, doubling the base facility from 31,000 sq. ft. to 59,000 sq. ft.

Since the crime lab first opened in 2015, NSP says they’ve seen a 23% increase in case submissions, justifying the need for more space.

Colonel John A. Bolduc, Superintendent of Law Enforcement and Public Safety for NSP, spoke on how much the scientists at the ground breaking make a difference in helping solve cases.

“...helps us prosecute cases successfully that helps us take bad actors off of the street so they don’t reoffend, so, they’re my heroes here. They do this work behind the scenes and this expansion is going to help them keep Nebraska safe and that’s the bottom line,” said Colonel Bolduc.

They’ve already added 4 new jobs and expect to add more, adding they expect the facility to be finished by mid to late 2026.

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