VIDEO: The Forensic Crime Lab In Columbus Looks TO Double Its Staff

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The Columbus Forensic Lab has been in need of more workers for a while now.

They’re some of the first people called out to a crime scene to collect evidence, and several pieces of evidence comes through their doors every year.

“Naturally, our case load has gone up, so we were needing more people so we can work more cases,” said Austin Shepherd, director of the crime lab.

The crime lab worked more than a thousand cases this past year with only two employees.

“Ten years ago maybe two would have been OK, possibly three, but we have really expanded our footprint to include other agencies,” Shepherd explained. “Now we are working cases for about 12 to 15 other law enforcement agencies in the area.”

Shepherd said being understaffed has it’s fair share of problems.

“It can be stressful and certainly the days are full,” he described. “There’s not a lot of downtime, it’s usually you’re bouncing from one thing to the next.”

However, the help they’ve been longing for is now on the way.

Earlier this week, Shepherd found out he’ll be able to double his staff by hiring two full-time workers.

“It was surprising at the budget meeting yesterday afternoon,” Shepherd recalled. “They called me in at kind of the last minute and asked me to talk about it. They were convinced, and I can’t be more appreciative.”

The lab director said the extra hands will help the team work more efficiently.

“Just the ability to specialize and spend more time on cases, get more in depth with the physical evidence, that will be provided by this new staff increase,” said Shepherd.

Shepherd said he’s looking for workers who are committed to the Friendly City.

Applicants must have a four-year degree in a science or science related field.

If anyone is interested in applying, contact or go by the Human Resources Office in Columbus.