In Houston, police and city officials have disclosed a troubling problem in which “drug-addicted rats” are destroying evidence that is kept in police lockers.
At a news conference, Mayor John Whitmire discussed the issue of rats being attracted to drugs that are stored in evidence lockers.
The rats eat the illegal drugs, which causes harm to other evidence. The infection has generated major questions about the integrity of the evidence that the city has kept.
“We got 400,000 pounds of marijuana in storage that the rats are the only ones enjoying,” Whitmire stated.
Mayor Whitmire announced a new program in partnership with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in response to the problem.
This effort aims to improve the organization of the 1.2 million pieces of evidence that the city has in its possession and to get rid of any narcotics that have been stored since before 2015.
“So much evidence is kept and stored that is no longer needed, that has no impact on the resolution of that charge, that conviction or even that innocence,” Whitmire stated.
The purpose of the change is to decrease the amount of narcotics in evidence lockers, which have been the main attraction for the rats. Peter Stout, who is the head of the Houston Forensic Science Center, also appeared at the news conference.
He highlighted the dangers that arise from the vast amounts of narcotics evidence.
“They’re edible, they’re tasty, they’re all kinds of things. You can’t store large quantities of drugs without expecting some of these things to happen,” Stout stated.
He said that although the rats are mostly going after the drugs, they are also putting other pieces of evidence that are not related to the narcotics at risk. This has raised worries about how dependable and secure the city’s evidence storage system is.
Officials acknowledged that the issue has continued to exist, even though they have attempted to manage the situation. The police have brought in exterminators to deal with the rat infestation, but the critters are still causing problems.
Legal Setback for Elephant Rights: Colorado Court Declines Freedom for Zoo Animals
“They’re drug-addicted rats. They’re tough to deal with,” he stated.
Officials said that the rodent problem has only had a direct impact on one active case. In that case, the rats were able to break into a bag that included hallucinogenic mushrooms in it, which made the evidence in the case less reliable.
Wisconsin Parents File Lawsuit After Son Dies in Asthma Attack, Blame Inhaler Costs
Houston is not the only city that has a problem with rats. In March 2024, officials from the New Orleans Police Department announced that they were dealing with a similar problem, in which drug evidence was being contaminated by vermin like as rats and cockroaches.
Law enforcement agencies are worried about how drug evidence is maintained and the dangers that bugs offer.
This is due to the increasing trend of drug evidence being stored improperly. As a result, police departments around the country are being urged to improve their management and pest control practices.
According to Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, “The rats eating our marijuana, they’re all high,” during a meeting of the Criminal Justice Committee of the City Council.
