It’s an unbelievable problem.
Houston officials have announced new measures to address the issue of rodents eating narcotics seized and stored by the Houston Police Department. The problem, which has led to rats consuming evidence that has been stored for years, prompted the city to reevaluate its procedures for keeping evidence. Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, and Police Chief J. Noe Diaz introduced new policies to dispose of drugs and other evidence that has been sitting in storage for decades, often long after the associated cases have been concluded.
The evidence, which includes approximately 1.2 million pieces stored both at the police headquarters and a secondary property warehouse, contains hundreds of thousands of pounds of drugs. Among the largest amounts is 400,000 pounds of marijuana. Whitmire remarked that only the rats were benefiting from the stored drugs, highlighting the need for action.
In response, Teare announced that drug evidence from cases prior to 2015, which is no longer needed, will be destroyed. Previously, regulations only allowed for destruction of drug evidence from cases that dated back to before 2005. To facilitate this process, Teare’s office will fund the disposal efforts, and a new senior attorney has been hired to manage the destruction of evidence once a case is resolved. This new position will work closely with law enforcement to ensure evidence is disposed of promptly.
Prosecutors have begun notifying defense attorneys involved in 3,600 ongoing cases where drug evidence is still held, informing them of the rodent issue. According to the district attorney’s office, only one of the open cases has been affected by the rodent problem. The presence of rats in the storage areas has raised concerns about potential impacts on convictions, though a spokesperson declined to comment on whether the situation could affect the legal outcomes.
Peter Stout, CEO of the Houston Forensic Science Center, emphasized that rodent and pest problems in evidence storage rooms are common across the U.S. He described the situation as a significant challenge, joking that the rodents, who are now “drug-addicted rats,” are difficult to manage. Police Chief Diaz also showed evidence, including cocaine and marijuana seized decades ago, noting that such evidence no longer holds legal value and must be destroyed to prevent further issues. He stressed that continuing to store such evidence was not professionally appropriate for the police department.
