There is a backlog of cases at the Houston Forensic Science Center, and this week Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn's office sent the following press releases:
The Houston Forensic Science Center will receive $457,107 to reduce the backlog of non-DNA forensic evidence from the Houston Police Department, U.S. Senator John Cornyn announced today. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Justice and was authorized by Sen. Cornyn’sJustice for All Reauthorization Act.
“The tragic increase in violent crime and drug trafficking has strained law enforcement’s ability to promptly conduct forensic analysis on criminal evidence,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m proud to have played a role in securing these funds to help reduce the backlog of forensic evidence in Houston and help get violent criminals off the street.”
Background:
The Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) is an independent crime laboratory that provides forensic services to the Houston Police Department, which is the largest municipal law enforcement agency in the state. HFSC provides services in seven forensic disciplines and has an internal requirement of a 30-day turnaround time from the date a request is received to the release of the forensic laboratory report. HFSC’s Seized Drugs section currently has a backlog of 1,549 cases with a current average turnaround time of 103 days. This is a nine-fold increase compared to the average turnaround time of 10 days in 2019.
To improve the timeliness of service, HFSC plans to purchase a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS) system, which will help reduce the turnaround time and case backlog. HFSC has seen an increase in submission for fentanyl and opioid-related testing, and the LCMS/MS system would also help identify novel psychoactive substances and emerging drugs to address public safety concerns.
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