The groundbreaking for the new Forensic Center in Smyrna took place on August 28. County leaders, law enforcement representatives and emergency personnel gathered to celebrate a major step forward in forensic and investigative capabilities in Middle Tennessee.
“When a Tennessee health report commissioned by the governor says this facility is an ‘urgent’ need for the entire state and it would be ideally located in Rutherford County in the town of Smyrna, I’m going to pay attention,” said Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr at the event.
The $15 million facility will be located at 206 I Street on a ten-acre campus off of Weakly Lane. It will increase the autopsy capacity in the county from 300 to 1,000, and reduce the strain on Nashville’s Middle Tennessee Regional Forensic Center which currently serves 60 counties. It is expected to be completed in 2027.
For more than 15 years, county officials have talked about the need for these facilities. The new Rutherford County Forensic Center is expected to speed up the autopsy process by four weeks, helping families and law enforcement attain much-needed results in a more timely manner. It will also decrease the number of trips detectives take to Nashville, provide the opportunity for better collaboration between forensic staff and local law enforcement, and allow for additional training for local crime scene investigators.
County Mayor Carr explained that the building is being financed by reserves, meaning no new taxes or need for bond sales, and it could become self-funding by allowing other counties to use the facilities for a fee.
As the fourth largest county in Tennessee, Rutherford County is second only to Davidson County in the number of autopsies requested. This means that the cost of autopsies will also decrease, as Rutherford County will no longer have to pay the fees charged by Davidson County.
“The Forensic Center will allow the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office to effectively and efficiently investigate crimes in Rutherford County resulting in a death,” Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh stated in a press release. “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.”
The site will also house new EMS facilities, the County Clerk’s Office, an office building and a Recycling Convenience Center.
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