BISMARCK, N.D. (PRAIRIE PUBLIC/KFGO) – North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley says the state crime lab has now caught up with processing such things as rape kits and firearm evidence, after a significant backlog led to a plea to the 2023 state legislature for more staff.
Wrigley says in 2022, he heard a lot of complaints from law enforcement about a backlog.
“We addressed that with some grant dollars so we could pay overtime and better utilize the existing staff that we had,” Wrigley said.
Wrigley said a number of the positions the lab has been able to add have been empty for years, including new latent fingerprint and firearm examiners. He said the lab is also nearly finished hiring three lab technicians who will analyze DNA, blood, and drugs.
Wrigley says the added staff will help the lab keep current with testing, even if demand increases.
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