Rutherford County Commission has approved the construction of a $15 million forensic center with a 17-3 vote.
The facility will be located near Weakley Lane at 206 I Street in Smyrna, Tennessee. This ten-acre area will be a Rutherford County Campus with an additional Emergency Medical Service location and a future office building. It is also home to the County Clerk’s Office and a Convenience Center.
The vote comes nearly a year after the Tennessee Department of Health stressed an urgent need for a sixth regional forensic center and endorsed Rutherford County as the ideal site in the Formal Assessment Final Report Feasibility Study.
Mayor Joe Carr has advocated for a forensic center from the beginning of his term, joining previous mayors, commissioners, and former emergency medical directors who stated the need for over 15 years.
“Rutherford County is the fourth largest county in Tennessee, and we are in dire need of better control of the forensic services provided to law enforcement agencies from a quality and financial standpoint,” Carr said. “Outside of the metro counties, Rutherford County orders the highest number of autopsies of any Tennessee county. This resource within Rutherford County would provide prioritized quality for our residents with death investigation services.”
Rutherford County District 18 Commissioner Allen McAdoo voiced support for the plan because of growth, cost and lack of control.
“I know firsthand what families go through during the unexpected death of a loved one. We need the center for an inhouse tool for law enforcement, the judicial system to use in doing their job, service to our citizens, and to provide as quick turnaround time as possible when they need information about their family member,“ McAdoo said.
Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said law enforcement efforts will be positively impacted by adding this in county resource.
“The Forensic Center will allow the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office to effectively and efficiently investigate crimes in Rutherford County resulting in a death,” Fitzhugh said. “One of the most important aspects of a death investigation is effective and expeditious communication. Communications with our investigative partners and, most importantly, with the families of the victim. The Forensic Center in Rutherford County will aid us in these type of investigations by reducing the securing of results from months to weeks.”
Rutherford County EMS/MEO Supervisor Death Investigations Denise L Martin, JD, F-ABMDI presented before several committees detailing the need for a Rutherford County Forensic Center.
“The personnel of the Rutherford County Medical Examiner’s Office are elated that the long-awaited Rutherford County Regional Forensic Center project was approved by the Rutherford County Commission,“ Martin said.
“Professional death investigation and medical examiner investigation are essential public services that should be directly accountable to the citizens they serve. As such, Rutherford County will soon be able to provide both services within a state-of-the-art facility located in and operated by Rutherford County, providing timely, unbiased, and professional death investigation to our county.
The new forensic center will improve efficiency in death investigations, reducing delays in communication and offering critical support to grieving families. This facility is going to bring a timelier resolution to questions that decedents’ families may have and allow them to get those answers without having to leave the community.
Efficient communication regarding pertinent findings that the new forensic center will provide to law enforcement investigations will enable justice to be served as expeditiously as possible.
Additionally, the project plans to provide educational opportunities for medical and forensic students, law enforcement, first responders, and judicial professionals; opportunities that are currently not readily available in our region and greatly needed.”
The forensic center should be operational by the first quarter of 2027.
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