HOUSTON – The Houston Forensic Science Center’s Digital and Multimedia Evidence Section has eliminated a longstanding backlog and has completed all requests in less than 30 days.
Dr. Peter Stout, HFSC’s CEO and president, said the agency has been working toward this milestone for more than a year.
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“We are especially proud of this achievement, because at the same time they were tackling the backlog, they also met the requirements for international accreditation,” Stout said.
Stout said the ultimate goal is to be able to process these types of evidence requests within hours.
Stout said the Digital and Multimedia Evidence Section analyzes audio and video, as well as cellphones, laptops and other digital devices. The information found in these electronics can at times be crucial at the start of an investigation, he said.
At the moment, audio and video work is being completed on average within 16 days, Stout said, and digital analysis is being done on average within 24 days.
A year ago, Stout said, that work took on average more than 110 days to complete.