New Delhi: Rats with a penchant for illicit substances have infiltrated the Houston Police Department’s (HPD), Texas, evidence room, jeopardising thousands of drug-related cases. The rodents, with a particular fondness for marijuana, have been discovered consuming seized drugs, forcing officials to notify defence attorneys in over 3,600 open cases.
The infestation, first discovered in October 2023, has persisted despite professional extermination efforts. “Just one example, we’ve got 400,000 pounds of marijuana in storage that the rats are the only ones enjoying,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said during a news conference.
“The problem has been so much evidence is kept and stored that it is no longer needed; that has no impact on the resolution of that charge that conviction, or even that innocence,” Whitmire said.
The rats aren’t just marijuana enthusiasts; they have also developed a taste for psilocybin, biting on packaging containing mushrooms. This widespread issue has prompted the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to take preemptive measures, notifying defence attorneys out of an abundance of caution.
“The Harris County District Attorney’s Office was notified last week that the Houston Police Department Narcotics Evidence Room at 1200 Travis had a problem or issue with rodents,” General counsel at the Harris County District Attorney, Joshua Reiss, was quoted as saying by Fox News.
The sheer volume of stored evidence, 1.2 million pieces, exacerbates the problem. Much of this material is no longer relevant to active cases, as illustrated by Police Chief Noe Diaz’s example of cocaine from a 1996 case still being stored despite the defendant’s 20-year sentence being served.
This isn’t a localized issue; according to Peter Stout, president of the Houston Forensic Science Center, rodents consuming evidence plague property rooms nationwide. “This is difficult getting these rodents out of there,” Stout explained. “I mean, think about it. They’re drug-addicted rats. They’re tough to deal with.”
In response, authorities are now authorised to destroy drug evidence from cleared pre-2015 cases. HuffPost reported that a new senior attorney position has been created to facilitate the disposal of unnecessary evidence in collaboration with law enforcement.
Similar incidents have been reported elsewhere, including a marijuana-fueled rat infestation at the New Orleans Police Department in 2023.
