AUSTIN POLICE PLAN TO RELY ON TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR DNA FORENSIC EVIDENCE PROCESSING, STATESMAN REPORTS

The Austin Police Department has closed its forensic DNA-procesing lab for an approximately six-month period, according to a June 10, 2016, online news account for "The Austin American-Statesman".

During that half-year period, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) in Austin is the government agency that will process DNA forensic evidence for the Austin Police Department, the Statesman reported.

The temporary closing of APD's DNA lab was apparently prompted by a critical evaluation of that APD lab by the Texas Forensic Science Commission state agency in Austin.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo admitted at a Friday evening press conference this week that the APD DNA lab's policies and procedures are out of date and not in compliance with current federal standards, according to the Statesman.

"The (State of Texas) forensic science commission determined that the (APD DNA) lab had a lack of properly trained supervision," Statesman writer Marty Toohey reported. "It (the APD lab) also needed to allow staff to learn a new federally required way of verifying evidence, according to the forensic commission."

APD Chief Acevedo reportedly stated on Friday that APD plans to hire a new chief forensic scientist for the APD DNA lab and address all of the Texas Forensic Science Commission's concerns about the lab before the lab is reopened.

"In the meantime, the (Austin) police department is farming out ongoing (DNA forensic evidence) cases to private labs and to the one run by the Department of Public Safety," Toohey reported for "The Austin American-Statesman".