OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha's mayor says now's not the time to merge the city and county crime labs.
Mayor Jean Stothert told the Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday that she's open to the idea, but now's the wrong time.
Stothert says she first wants to ensure that Douglas County's crime lab becomes accredited, and then she wants to assess the results of a five-year agreement to share services. That deal went into effect Jan. 1.
The county has been checking the fiscal impact of a lab merger, and on Tuesday Douglas County Board member Mike Boyle suggested merging the Omaha Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
Stothert says that as the city grows and the county's jurisdiction shrinks, merging the police forces would be worth discussing, but not yet.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.