A recent report revealed that drug-addicted rats have been eating narcotics seized and stored by the Houston Police Department, leading to a reevaluation of how drug evidence is managed and stored. Houston Mayor John Whitmire, along with Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare and Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz, took action to dispose of seized drugs and other evidence that have been sitting for years at police headquarters downtown.

With over 1.2 million pieces of evidence stored across multiple locations, including hundreds of thousands of pounds of narcotics, the situation has raised concerns about the potential for contamination. Whitmire explained the gravity of the problem, saying, ¨We got 400,000 pounds of marijuana in storage. The rats are the only ones enjoying it. 

Teare highlighted the department’s efforts to manage the issue, stating that drug evidence collected before 2015 that is no longer needed for active cases will now be destroyed. He noted that an old rule had prevented the disposal of drugs unless cases predated 2005, but the situation with the rats has accelerated the need for new policies. ¨His office will use its funds to dispose of the drugs,¨ Teare explained.

The problem has become so severe that Peter Stout, president and CEO of the Houston Forensic Science Center, acknowledged it as part of a broader issue, saying, ¨It is a nationwide issue,¨ and that storage rooms with narcotics attract rodents and other critters. Stout elaborated, ¨This is a problem for property rooms everywhere in the country – rodents, bugs, fungus, all kinds of things love drugs.¨ He further remarked on the challenge of removing the rodents, saying, ¨They are drug-addicted rats. They are tough to deal with.¨

To provide further context, Diaz showcased some of the drugs that had been compromised, including cocaine seized in 1996. He highlighted the futility of storing outdated evidence, saying, ¨The suspect pled to 20 years. He’s already out.¨ Diaz emphasized that this outdated evidence ¨has no more value within our legal system¨ and needs to be destroyed before it continues to attract rodents.

In conclusion, Whitmire and other officials emphasized that this is not just a Houston issue but part of pieces of evidence at stake, Whitmire emphasized, ¨It’s not something that we can continue to do as a professional police agency.¨ Efforts are now being put in place to properly manage and dispose of these materials, reducing the risk of further contamination and preventing issues with rodents.