Area and state prosecutors praised the ability and integrity of UNMC’s laboratory and forensic services Wednesday during a public hearing, held on the UNMC campus, regarding the possible creation of a crime lab that would co-locate several crime lab functions, including UNMC’s DNA analysis unit.
UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., testified at the hearing regarding UNMC’s role in the deliberations.
After the hearing, Dr. Gold spoke of the accolades UNMC had received from officials that included Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine, Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov and Corey O’Brien, a representative from the Nebraska Attorney General’s office.
Read the Omaha World-Herald coverage of the meeting here.
“It was a great honor to participate in this process, but also to hear all the prosecutors, law enforcement, senators, and others talk about the respect they have for the UNMC facilities — the timeliness, the quality,” he said. “While we frequently talk about space and buildings and money and processes, this is really about getting the job done right. This is what protects the citizens of Nebraska. And as was said most recently by the attorney general’s office, we’ve got to do this right. And we will.”
Other community leaders who spoke at the hearing included Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert; Todd Schmaderer, the chief of the Omaha Police Department; Douglas County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson; Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab Director Pam Zilly; and Chief Deputy Tom Wheeler of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, among others.
Kyle Herber, executive director of the Nebraska Organ Recovery System, who spoke at the hearing, highlighted that group’s interest in co-locating at UNMC.
State Sen. John McCollister of District 20 (Omaha), said he found the hearing helpful.
“One of the most important questions that came up repeatedly is, ‘What’s the role of the state in this process?’ I thought the county attorneys did a pretty magnificent job of making the case that the Nebraska legislature had a role.”
Sen. Rick Kolowski, of District 31 (Omaha), said the hearing provided insights into the different ways parties are viewing the proposal.
“What we need to do is get a compromise and get it down to a final decision as to locations and particulars that we would want to be added to the site. My questions have all been about retaining staff and would we add any other services,” he said. “If we have it here, let’s build the best we possibly can and make it a world standard.”