Rats Damage Drug Evidence in Houston

Houston police are facing a troubling rodent infestation in their narcotics evidence room, with reports indicating that 'drug-addicted rats' are consuming seized narcotics, including 400,000 pounds of marijuana. In response, Mayor John Whitmire, District Attorney Sean Teare, and Police Chief J. Noe Diaz announced measures to expedite the disposal of drug evidence, particularly that which is no longer needed for cases, some of which has been stored for decades. Notifications have been sent to defense attorneys regarding over 3,600 open drug-related cases, although only one case has shown evidence compromised by the rodents. The new policy will allow for the destruction of evidence collected before 2015, addressing a previous rule that only permitted disposal if cases dated back to 2005 or earlier. Officials emphasized that the rodent issue is not unique to Houston, pointing out similar problems in evidence rooms across the country. They aim to create a more efficient system to prevent further infestations and protect the integrity of evidence storage.