In a narrative that sounds extra just like the plot of a unusual crime drama than actual life, drug-addicted rats have turned Houston’s police proof storage into their private stash home. These rodents have developed fairly the style for confiscated contraband, forcing metropolis officers to rethink how they deal with and retailer medication.
The issue started in Houston’s downtown proof locker, the place 1.2 million items of proof—together with 400,000 kilos of marijuana and numerous different illicit substances—are saved. Houston Mayor John Whitmire says, “The rats are the one ones having fun with it.”
It’s not simply weed these whiskered fiends are after. Cocaine has additionally been on their menu, amongst different medication. Peter Stout, president of the Houston Forensic Science Heart, defined that this isn’t a uniquely Houston drawback, both. These drug-addicted rats are additionally joined by different bugs and rodents.
Makes an attempt to exterminate the pests have been difficult. In accordance with Stout, the rats’ newfound vice has made them harder than your common rodent. To handle the difficulty, Houston police have determined to hurry up their proof destruction course of.
Beforehand, medication collected earlier than 2005 may very well be destroyed. Beneath the brand new protocol, proof collected earlier than 2015 and now not wanted for trials can be destroyed. This could hopefully assist minimize down on the quantity of illicit supplies these drug-addicted rats need to combat over.
A brand new senior lawyer place has additionally been created to handle proof extra effectively. This lawyer will work alongside police to make sure proof is disposed of promptly after a trial concludes.
Throughout the U.S., property rooms face comparable challenges with pests interested in long-stored contraband. Stout emphasised the necessity for higher proof administration nationwide to stop such issues. It appears driving rats isn’t the one factor we have now to fret about with regards to the rodent kingdom.
Whereas the concept of drug-addicted rats may convey a chuckle to the room, it underscores critical points with proof storage and administration. On the intense aspect, just one open case has been affected by the rodents’ antics thus far.
