Rats Raid Police Evidence Lockers, Getting High On Seized Drugs and Blowing Holes In Criminal Cases

Imagine a scenario where rats are not just sneaky intruders but drug addicts breaking into police precincts to get high on seized substances. Reports from Texas reveal that rodents have been feasting on marijuana and magic mushrooms stored as evidence, potentially compromising numerous cases, as per KHOU.

Mayor John Whitmire highlighted the severity of the situation in a news conference, stating, "Just one example, we've got 400,000 pounds of marijuana in storage that the rats are the only ones enjoying." This alarming revelation has prompted the district attorney for Houston to notify defense attorneys in over 3,600 ongoing drug-related cases, authorizing the disposal of drug evidence from resolved cases predating 2015 to mitigate risks.

Joshua Reiss, the general counsel at the Harris County District Attorney, disclosed that the rodents managed to access both marijuana and packaging containing mushrooms, underscoring the extent of the issue. While the problem seems magnified in Texas, Reiss believes it is a widespread concern across the nation.

Highlighting the national scale of the predicament, Reiss stated, "Narcotics evidence rooms and evidence rooms in general that are filled to the brims with old evidence, it's a national issue." This revelation sheds light on the longstanding nature of the problem, with police officials tracing back similar incidents for decades.

Not confined to Texas, the rodent drug saga made headlines in New Orleans last year when authorities discovered rodents indulging in drugs within the evidence room of the department headquarters. NOPD Chief Anne Kirkpatrick expressed her astonishment at the situation during a city Criminal Justice Committee meeting, stating, "The rats are eating our marijuana. They're all high."