Houston police unveil new crime lab after rape kit lawsuits
HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Police Department has unveiled a new crime lab in a move to accelerate service and shed its scandal-ridden past linked to a backlog of rape kits.
Police and city officials several years ago started the process of untangling the lab from the department and into an independent agency, the Houston Forensic Science Center.
In 2014, the department transferred management of its crime lab to the center even though the physical lab remained in the Police Department's downtown headquarters.
The Houston Chronicle reports that authorities said the new facility was revealed this week and features state-of-the-art labs, ventilation systems and a consolidated design
The center's president, Dr. Peter Stout, says the 83,000-square-foot space will serve as a model for the rest of the U.S.
Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com
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