MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) –- Attorney General Josh Kaul stopped in Milwaukee on Thursday to advocate for funding for the state’s crime labs.

The state has three labs located in Milwaukee, Madison and Wausau.

Kaul is asking for $1.8 million in funding to hire 15 new employees including DNA technicians and firearms analysts. The money would also help reopen the firearms and tool marks unit in Madison.

“The work that the crime lab does analyzing DNA evidence or fingerprint evidence or other types of evidence helps communities across Wisconsin and it helps make our communities safer," Kaul said.

Kaul said the new positions would help the crime labs become more efficient and potentially speed up investigations. Budget deliberations are set to begin next week.