CRIME LAB

Critical component must keep up

Fighting crime is not just the job of law enforcement. Each component of
the criminal justice system must do its part in a competent and timely
manner, or the system breaks down.

Keep up

The Jackson Crime Lab has a backlog of about 200 cases. The Mississippi
Crime Lab has a 3,000 case backlog.

Drug case testing must be done in a timely manner or it bogs down the
criminal justice system.

At present, the Jackson Crime Lab is bogging down an already slow criminal
justice system.

A Hinds County judge recently was forced to release an accused drug
offender on his own recognizance after the lab could not produce test
results for seven months. The fact that it still takes seven months to get
a lab report on a drug case is unacceptable.

The district attorney's office cannot present drug cases to the grand jury
without drug test reports. That means accused drug offenders pile up in the
Hinds County Detention Center, an overcrowded facility. That means there is
more likelihood people who should be in jail are being released. That means
more crime and the cycle continues.

The problem appears to be resources and consistent staffing. The office
that once had four analysts has been operating with one. Two new ones have
been hired and are undergoing training.

Statewide, the Mississippi Crime Lab has made great strides in recent years
from its past dismal performance.

However, budget cuts and general lack of personnel and resources continue
to hamper the agency. The current backlog of cases is about 3,000.

This is not to criticize these agencies, but to point out that every
component of the system must be operating at peak performance, or it
directly affects crime. Jackson cannot afford breakdowns anywhere within
the system. Jackson officials must ensure resources are there to do the job.

The Jackson Crime Lab has to catch up and keep up.