Rats Infest Houston Police Evidence Room

Houston's police evidence room has been overrun by rats, consuming seized drugs, including marijuana and mushrooms, leading to concerns over evidence integrity. Mayor John Whitmire announced plans to destroy outdated evidence, particularly drugs seized before 2015, to address the backlog and infestation. The rats have breached packaging in the HPD Narcotics Evidence Room, affecting only one active case, but notifications were sent for over 3,600 open drug-related cases. This highlights a national issue of overflowing evidence rooms due to policies preventing timely disposal. The DA's office is notifying defense attorneys of potential evidence compromises, and police will destroy evidence upon plea bargains if agreed by both parties. Despite the infestation, prosecutions related to affected evidence are expected to continue.