The houston forensic science center (hfsc) is an independent crime laboratory that provides forensic services to the houston police department (HPD), the largest municipal law enforcement agency in…

The Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC), a local government-owned independent crime laboratory, received a $457,107 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grant Program (CFDA 16.742). The funding will be used to purchase a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system to improve the timeliness and accuracy of forensic analysis for the identification of novel psychoactive substances and emerging drugs. This investment aims to reduce the current 103-day average turnaround time and 1,549-case backlog in HFSC's seized drugs section, which has seen a significant increase in fentanyl and opioid-related submissions. The successful implementation of the LC-MS/MS system is expected to enhance throughput and address public safety concerns regarding novel psychoactive substances in the Houston region.

The houston forensic science center (hfsc) is an independent crime laboratory that provides forensic services to the houston police department (HPD), the largest municipal law enforcement agency in the state of texas. Hfsc provides services in seven forensic disciplines and has an internal requirement of a 30-day turnaround time from the date a request is received, to the release of the forensic laboratory report. Hfscs seized drugs section currently has a backlog of 1549 cases with a current average turnaround time of 103 days. This is a 9-fold increase compared to the average turnaround time of 10 days in 2019. To improve the timeliness of service in hfscs seized drugs section, hfsc is seeking FY 2023 coverdell funds to purchase a liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system. The aim of this project is to reduce the turnaround time and case backlog through the implementation of the LC-MS/MS system into forensic casework for the identification of novel psychoactive substances. Hfsc has seen an increase in submission for fentanyl and opioid-related testing. The LC-MS/MS system would immediately address the need for increased throughput and enhanced methods for identifying novel psychoactive substances and emerging drugs. The successful completion of this project would allow hfsc to provide timely and accurate results to our stakeholders and address public safety concerns regarding novel psychoactive substances.