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Division of Criminal Investigation outlines crime lab demand, fentanyl surge and gaps in reporting
Summary
DCI told the Joint Judiciary Committee that the state crime lab and criminal justice information systems are under growing demand: DNA and other submissions are up sharply, fentanyl submissions surged since 2020, and about 18 local agencies have not completed migration to NIBRS reporting.
The Division of Criminal Investigation reported rising forensic caseloads, high demand for DNA and drug analysis and uneven compliance with national crime reporting standards.
DCI Director Jones told the committee that evidence submissions to the state crime lab have risen over the last decade (biology/DNA submissions up about 82%; chemistry up 70%) and forensic workload has increased 77% overall. Turnaround times reported by DCI’s lab include DNA/biology ~82 days, chemistry ~34 days and toxicology ~25 days. Jones said the lab has accepted awards for operating efficiency but continues to contract out some firearms work and to validate new rapid DNA equipment for reference samples.
On drugs, DCI said fentanyl submissions rose from 34 submissions in 2020 to 836 in 2024; 2024 also saw 97 overdose fatalities statewide (21 where fentanyl was a contributing factor). Jones said methamphetamine and fentanyl remain top priorities. He also described DCI’s new cold-case database and a forensic genetic genealogy program that has rules in place and a contractor under agreement.
DCI also reported backlogs in reporting: the Uniform Crime Reporting transition to NIBRS has not been completed by every agency. Jones said 66 agencies are reporting NIBRS and 18 are not; problems include vendor reporting-system issues and staffing turnover at local agencies. The committee asked DCI to provide the list of noncompliant agencies so members can follow up locally.
Other topics included DCI’s investigative structure, increases in general investigation requests from local agencies and the agent-led officer-involved-shooting team designed to improve objectivity in those investigations. DCI warned the committee about parcel-service evidence pilfering incidents that complicate evidence transit and noted firearm analysis capacity remains limited pending hiring of analysts.
