Illinois State Police are fixing a leaky roof over an evidence room in a building near their downtown Springfield headquarters.

Reports indicate if the roof isn't fixed, evidence collected in criminal investigations may be damaged. The state police have signed off on a contract worth about $250,000 to fix the roof. Bidding documents state that it's "an emergency purchase."

Officials want the roof fixed before winter. The roof dates to 1987. It was patched in May but the patches didn't hold because of heavy rains.

State police spokeswoman Monique Bond says as a precaution, evidence was relocated to secure area of the building to make sure nothing was compromised.