HENDERSON, NEVADA – The Las Vegas valley came one step closer to having a critically needed second Crime Lab to help solve and prevent crime. Television’s CSI-series creator Anthony Zuiker and his wife Jennifer recently made a large donation and pledge, a total of one million dollars, to help build a Forensic Science Center. The Center will include a Forensic Crime Lab, Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Section, and Evidence Vault. Zuiker challenges community leaders, residents, businesses and other organizations to contribute to this critical project.
Zuiker is the award winning Creator and Executive Producer of TV’s hit series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its top 10 spin-offs CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. He is a 1991 graduate of UNLV and is an alumnus of Chaparral High School in Las Vegas. He and his wife have given unselfishly to our community since he created the TV series.
Zuiker’s creation has arguably had the largest affect of any television series in history. His show has spawned wide-spread changes in forensics and the criminal justice community, increased the interest in high school and college science courses world-wide, and has indirectly helped to improve our quality of life. The public now has a better general understanding of what law enforcement does or can do during crime scene investigations (albeit it with some entertaining differences). They are more informed, and now frequently take steps to help protect potential forensic evidence until the investigators arrive.
In fact, “there is a commonly used term ‘The CSI Effect’, which has been used to describe how Zuiker’s television series has changed our lives,” says Rick Workman, Chairman of Friends of Henderson CSI, the private group created to raise funds to build the crime lab.
Some members of the criminal justice community believe the CSI shows have misled the public to believe that law enforcement has the most advanced technology possible, and that they expect the processes to be similar to what it looks like on television.
“This isn’t TV. This is real life”, Zuiker said during a recent tour of the Henderson Police Department Criminalistics Bureau, referring to our immediate need to increase forensics evidence collection and analysis capability in this valley. “We need this crime lab now,” Zuiker added.
“The sad reality is that we should have and should use the latest technologies, but we don’t,” said Workman. Crime labs across the country are overworked, undersized, ill-equipped and understaffed. “It may come as a shock to most, but Southern Nevada does not have a single permanent forensic crime lab. The only operational full-service forensic crime lab is operated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), but that facility is not owned by the public. It is in a building being leased from a private owner,” he added.
The LVMPD crime lab does a good job of forensic evidence collection and analysis within their capacity but they are, as is nearly every public crime lab in the country, overwhelmed with backlogs of forensic evidence waiting to be processed. In fact, nearly every law enforcement agency in southern Nevada sends evidence to private labs or out of state for analysis. The Clark County Coroner’s Office also sends evidence to out of state forensic labs. These are very inefficient and ineffective processes.
In so many cases, physical forensic evidence is the key to solving and preventing crime. Time is critical in practically every case.
Zuiker also said that he is going to use his name as the creator of the CSI shows to “...inform the public of the need for this project... to help maintain the quality-of-life and safety we now enjoy”.
When built, the Forensic Science Center will be located in Henderson, but will play a critical role in the overall safety and security of the entire Las Vegas Valley and southern Nevada. The Center’s resources will be used to assist other law enforcement agencies in southern Nevada in every way possible.
Please visit www.NevadaCSI.com for information about this critical community project. You may go to www.NevadaCSI.com/donate.html for a contribution form.
All financial contributions are managed by the Henderson Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation registered as a Public Charity with the IRS. Federal Tax ID # 45-0489163 www.hendersoncf.org
Please send your tax-deductible contributions to:
Friends of Henderson CSI
2505 Anthem Village Drive, Suite E422, Henderson, NV 89052
About the Friends of Henderson CSI
The Friends of Henderson CSI was established in Henderson, Nevada in 2005. Our primary purpose is to raise funds to build, equip and support a Forensic Science Center. The approximately 77,000 sq. ft. Center will include a Forensic Crime Lab, Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Section, and Evidence Vault. The facility will be located in Henderson, but will play a critical role in the overall safety and security of the entire Las Vegas Valley and southern Nevada. The Center’s resources will be used to assist other law enforcement agencies in southern Nevada in every way possible.
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