During National Forensic Science Week, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is proud to recognize the hardworking men and women of the Crime Laboratory Division.
Established in 1937, the Crime Laboratory Division started as a one-chemist operation located at Camp Mabry in Austin. Almost 90 years later, the Crime Laboratory Division has developed into a comprehensive forensic laboratory system with 16 accredited labs and programs spanning the state and approximately 711 personnel.
“The men and women of the Crime Laboratory Division work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide answers, support justice and ultimately protect and serve the people of Texas every day,” said Crime Laboratory Chief Brady Mills. “Their work is vital to the operations of law enforcement agencies across this state, and we are proud to be able to assist our partners in this way.”
During the past year, DPS’ Crime Laboratory Division processed 115,472 requests for forensic testing and uploaded 117,482 arrestee and offender DNA samples to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The Breath Alcohol program hosted 63 breath test operator schools and certified 930 new breath test operators. The Sexual Assault Evidence (SAE) Tracking program, which allows survivors to anonymously monitor the status and location of evidence, concluded its sixth year of statewide electronic tracking on Aug. 31, 2025. To date, 61,506 sexual assault kits (SAKs) are being tracked in Track-Kit, with 10,644 kits collected statewide in 2025.
DPS continues testing older SAKs that have previously never been submitted to a crime laboratory and had been stored, untested, in property rooms across the state. Since March 2022, DPS has completed 1,432 SAKs as part of this project.
In July, members of the Crime Laboratory Division deployed to Kerr Co. to assist with identifying victims of the July 4th floods. The team quickly stepped up at the request of the Texas Rangers and, through fingerprint analysis and coordinated laboratory work, was able to provide answers to numerous families impacted by the catastrophic events.
DPS Crime Laboratory Division’s standard areas of analysis include:
- Trace evidence (i.e., hair, fibers, paint, glass, gunshot residue, impressions, fire debris)
- Biology/DNA
- Digital/multimedia evidence
- Firearms and toolmarks
- Friction ridge analysis
- Forensic documents
- Seized drugs
- Toxicology
These services are provided at labs statewide, strategically located for optimal access. The support of investigative capabilities is further enhanced by the integration and exchange of local, state, regional and national information via individualizing databases, including the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and CODIS.
The Crime Laboratory also includes the Breath Alcohol Laboratory (BAL) and its Office of the Scientific Director (OSD). The BAL and OSD are legislatively charged with administering a statewide judicially acceptable forensic breath alcohol test program for the Crime Laboratory and for programs operating outside of the DPS Crime Laboratory System.
In recent years, DPS has seen several positive crime lab developments, including:
- Starting Sept. 1, 2023, House Bill 3956 (88th Legislature) mandated that booking facilities collect a DNA sample from all arrestees charged with a felony offense occurring on or after Sept. 1, 2023. House Bill 3956 significantly expanded upon HB 1399, so additional cases can be solved at the time of arrest, further enhancing public safety efforts. To date, this legislation has resulted in an additional 1726 CODIS hits.
- The 88th Legislature provided approximately $15 million this biennium to improve the turnaround time for forensic analysis to detect the presence of drugs in biological samples (such as those from drivers and survivors of sexual assault). As such, the number of Toxicology (Drugs) cases waiting to be tested has been reduced by almost 7,375 cases, and it continues to decline.
- During the 89th Legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed SB 1723, establishing the Rapid DNA Pilot Program for booking stations. The Pilot Program reduces DNA test and processing times from 72 hours down in a laboratory environment to just 90-120 minutes in a booking station. If proven successful, the pilot program could expand from the original two counties to a statewide program if supported by the legislature.
As part of National Forensic Science Week, DPS is offering public tours at crime laboratories across the state. All are free of charge.
Please contact the individual laboratory for tour times and availability:
North Texas Region
- Garland – Tuesday 9/16
- Tyler – Thursday 9/18
Southeast Texas Region
- Houston – Thursday 9/18
South Texas Region
- Corpus Christi – Thursday 9/18
- Laredo – Friday 9/19
- Weslaco – Thursday 9/18
West Texas Region
- El Paso – Friday 9/19
Northwest Texas Region
- Abilene – Thursday 9/18
- Amarillo – Wednesday 9/17
- Lubbock – Thursday 9/18
Central Texas Region
- Austin – Wednesday 9/17*
- Waco – Tuesday 9/16
*To get your free tickets to visit to the Austin Lab at DPS Headquarters, click here.
View photos from the DPS Crime Laboratory here.
Article source and photo credit: Texas Department of Public Safety
