Williamson county has come up with an interesting method to speed forensic blood and drug testing–in FY 2015 they will pay the Department of Public Safety lab to hire two employees who are supposed to expedite the return of blood and drug testing.
It has been obvious for some time that the DPS lab is grossly understaffed, judging by the very long turnaround times for lab testing. It has not been unusual for drug or blood testing to take the DPS lab six months or more. The new contract is supposed to guarantee that lab test results will be delivered within 30-days.
As long as the new push for speed does not lead to corner-cutting or sloppy results, it will certainly be a welcome development to see forensic testing done more quickly.