BASRAH — Crime scene investigators here are now working in a modernized forensic laboratory thanks to a $263,000 renovation, completed Feb. 22.

“I’m very pleased with the new capabilities our renovated Basrah Criminal Evidence Department Laboratory offers,” said Iraqi Police Capt. Bassim. “This is the first time in ten years our facility has been upgraded.”

The five-month project improves the investigator's ability to effectively analyze crime scene evidence and solve crimes, he explained.

“The completed project provides Basrah a great facility to conduct criminal forensics,” said Arthur Davey, project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Gulf Region Division, the agency charged with managing the facility’s construction.  “The evidence they collect at a crime scene, such as DNA, fingerprints, fiber and ballistics, can now be processed in a clean, efficient workplace with improved equipment and fixtures safeguarding the integrity of their findings.”

Robert Vanoer, the USACE Basrah area engineer, said this project represents an important step toward developing a strong rule of law in Basrah and throughout Iraq.

The Gulf Region Division has completed more than 300 other projects related to security and justice, including border posts, point of entry facilities, fire stations, courthouses and correctional facilities. In all, more than 4,400 projects are complete, including water supply and treatment projects, electricity infrastructure, healthcare facilities and schools.