OTTAWA - The Mounties are closing three of their six forensic labs and consolidating services in the remaining three.
The RCMP says the labs in Regina, Winnipeg and Halifax will close and their work will be handled by labs in Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa.
The force says the change will save about $3.5 million a year.
It says the consolidation will also improve efficiency, eliminate redundancy and reduce infrastructure costs.
It says services will not be compromised.
The federal government has been reviewing the future of the RCMP crime labs since the fall of 2010, when it issued a tender for a study on the best model to deliver forensic services.
