Backlogs linger at Houston crime lab

HOUSTON District Attorney Pat Lykos says the police lab does not have the capacity and it's imperative that the city and the county reach a deal for an interim DNA lab.

Mayor Annise Parker says the city is committed to an independent crime lab and work continues toward that goal.

The Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday that the police lab has a backlog of about 1,400 cases with newly collected untested evidence, a number that grows by about 75 new cases a month.

The city council in January approved hiring four companies to process a backlog of about 4,000 rape kits, including evidence going back to 1994.