DPS Highlights Crime Laboratory Division During National Forensic Science Week

September 10, 2024
DPS Highlights Crime Laboratory Division During National Forensic Science Week

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is proud to recognize the hardworking men and women of the Crime Laboratory Division during National Forensic Science Week, which takes place Sept. 15-21.

“Every day our crime labs across the state are doing extraordinary work,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Without the expertise and commitment of these men and women, we would not be able to protect and preserve public safety in Texas. We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to these individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes.”

Established in 1937, the DPS Crime Laboratory Division started as a one-chemist operation located at Camp Mabry in Austin. Today, the Crime Laboratory Division has developed into a comprehensive forensic laboratory system with 16 accredited crime labs across the state. The division is now made up of approximately 660 personnel.

DPS Crime Laboratory Division’s standard areas of analysis include:

  • Trace evidence (i.e., hair, fibers, paint, glass, gunshot residue, impressions, fire debris)
  • Biology/DNA
  • Digital/multimedia evidence
  • Firearms and toolmarks
  • Friction ridge analysis
  • Forensic documents
  • Seized drugs
  • Toxicology

These services are provided at various labs statewide which are strategically located for optimal access. The support of investigative capabilities is further enhanced by the integration and exchange of local, state, regional and national information via individualizing databases, including the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

The Crime Laboratory also includes the Breath Alcohol Laboratory (BAL) and its Office of the Scientific Director (OSD). The BAL and OSD are legislatively charged with administering a statewide judicially acceptable forensic breath alcohol test program for the Crime Laboratory and for programs operating outside of the DPS Crime Laboratory System.

In recent years, DPS has seen several positive crime lab developments, including:

Approximately 28 additional unsolved cases aided through House Bill 1399 (86th Legislature) this year which requires the collection of DNA samples from those arrested for certain felonies. The samples are run through the CODIS in Austin and entered into a database to check for possible DNA matches between those arrestees and unsolved cases across the country.

Effective Sept. 1, 2023, House Bill 3956 (88th Legislature) mandated that booking facilities collect a DNA sample from all arrestees charged with a felony class offense occurring on or after Sept. 1, 2023. House Bill 3956 significantly expands upon HB 1399 so additional cases can be solved at the time of arrest, further enhancing public safety efforts. This legislation resulted in an additional 100 CODIS hits so far.

Turnaround times for sexual assault kits (SAKs) remain under 90 calendar days for DPS labs across the state. Furthermore, the sexual assault evidence-tracking program continues to allow sexual assault survivors to anonymously track and receive updates on the status and progress of evidence. Aug. 31, 2024, marked the conclusion of the fifth year of statewide electronic sexual assault evidence (SAE) tracking in Texas. To date, 50,727 SAKs are being tracked in Track-Kit.

DPS continues testing older SAKs that had previously never been submitted to a crime laboratory and had been stored, untested, in property rooms across the state. Since March 2022, DPS has completed 1,347 SAKs as part of this project.

The 88th Legislature provided approximately $15 million in support for this biennium to improve the turnaround time for the forensic analysis to detect the presence of drugs in biological samples (such as those from drivers and survivors of sexual assault). As such, the Toxicology (Drugs) backlog of untested cases has been reduced by almost 2,000 cases and it continues to decline.

As a way to continue to highlight the critical work taking place in the department’s labs across the state, DPS is offering public tours in honor of National Forensic Science Week. To get your free tickets to visit to the Austin Lab at DPS Headquarters, click here.

Please contact the individual laboratory for tour times and availability for all other regions:

North Texas Region

  1. Garland – Tuesday 9/17
  2. Tyler – Tuesday 9/17

Southeast Texas Region

  1. Houston – Thursday 9/19

South Texas Region

  1. Corpus Christi – Wednesday 9/18
  2. Laredo – Thursday 9/19
  3. Weslaco – Tuesday 9/17 and Wednesday 9/18

West Texas Region

  1. El Paso – Wednesday 9/18 

Northwest Texas Region

  1. Abilene – Thursday 9/19
  2. Amarillo – Thursday 9/19
  3. Lubbock – Thursday 9/19

Central Texas Region

  1. Austin – Thursday 9/19
  2. Waco – Tuesday 9/17

View more photos of from the DPS Crime Laboratory here.