ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOX) - Today, St. Louis County Police will start construction on a $9.2 million crime lab.

The 30,000 square foot facility will occupy one and a half floors of County Police Headquarters on Forsyth.

Saint Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says people who watch television programs like CSI are familiar with crime labs.

“They see some of the capabilities, it’s not quite like TV, but they see some of the capabilities of forensic science and how it’s changed through the years and really we’re working in a facility that was built for us back in the 70s and it has certainly been outgrown by our staff,” Fitch said.

Fitch tells KMOX the current County Crime Lab is around 9,000 square feet. In addition to the space nearly quadrupling, seven new jobs have been approved, five forensic scientists and two evidence technicians.

The new lab should be completed by the end of 2013.