A pending agreement with the City of Portland's Police Department is expected to boost the Town of Cape Elizabeth's crime-solving capabilities.

The Town Council is will consider for approval an interlocal governmental agreement between the City of Portland and surrounding municipalities to share services of a new forensic crime lab, to be known as the "Metro Regional Crime Lab."

Expanded, regional use of the crime lab, to be located at the Public Safety building on Middle Street in Portland, will improve law enforcement services for participating towns, as well as relieve the state's overworked crime lab located in Augusta.

At the March meeting of the Town Council, Cape Elizabeth Police Chief Neil Williams presented the draft agreement between the City of Portland, and neighboring South Portland, Scarborough, Westbrook, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Yarmouth and, Cumberland County law enforcement.

"Criminals don't have borders," Williams told members of the council.

Portland area municipalities already share information on waves of crimes as they happen, Williams said. For example, car break-ins tend to move in a stream from one town to the next. Sharing a centrally located crime lab will facilitate communication on such crimes.

The new, nearby lab will also save Cape Elizabeth officers from having to travel to the state's crime lab in Augusta, a facility that is not only far away, but also overwhelmed with work.

Although local Public Safety officials have questioned other moves toward regionalization, dispatching in particular, Williams said he supports sharing Portland's crime lab.

Under a proposal presented to the council, Cape Elizabeth would share the start up cost of the facility and equipment, estimated at $1.6 million. The seven participating communities would share costs based on population, with Cape Elizabeth's initial contribution at $1,540 for fiscal year 2009. Williams included that cost, an interest-only payment on the bond that Portland is proposing to issue, in his FY 2009 budget proposal.

Councilors on March 3 voted to refer participation in the Portland crime lab to their Finance Committee, which discussed the proposal last week. They are expected to approve the agreement at the April 14 council meeting.

Annual cost to Cape Elizabeth for participation is estimated at $5,797 for the first year of the 20-year bond, beginning in fiscal year 2010.

Under the terms of the agreement, Portland will be responsible for operating, maintenance and insurance costs for the lab after occupancy.

Cape Elizabeth's share is based on the town's population of 8,826, representing 4.4 percent of the total population of the participating communities.

Although Cape Elizabeth's use of the lab is expected to be in proportion to the severity of crimes in town, Williams said the town would still benefit. "We in Cape Elizabeth use (the state lab) less than anybody else," Williams told the council. "We don't have those high-profile'crimes," he said. But, having access to a crime lab in Portland would allow Cape Elizabeth to do more with fingerprinting, photography, accident reconstruction and other investigation methods than are currently available.

The department will benefit from the training that the Portland personnel have, and will save on costs currently incurred for travel to Augusta. The department spends $4,000-$5,000 annually on detective's time and other expenses for travel there, he said.

"I think we reap a lot of benefit out of this," Williams said. "I see us using the lab enough to be cost-effective," he said.