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State Says NYPD Crime Lab Botched Testing Drugs

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Dec 3, 2007 12:50 pm US/Eastern

State Says NYPD Crime Lab Botched Testing Drugs

  The state inspector general said Monday the New York City Police Department's crime lab cut corners analyzing evidence and submitted results in drug cases without having done the required tests.

Serious errors were made by the police lab under since-reformed practices, Inspector General Kristine Hamann said in referring her report to the Queens District Attorney's office for possible criminal investigation.

"The integrity of evidence is a cornerstone of law enforcement," Hamann said. "These lapses were a threat not only to the prosecution of drug crimes, but to the public's trust in our criminal justice system."

She noted that the city has made significant improvements since the improper practices in 2002.

Hamann said her investigation began after the state Division of Criminal Justice Services asked her to investigate allegations of "dry labbing" -- sending results to police and prosecutors without doing the actual lab tests -- in 2002.

She said her investigators found that lab officials were told in April 2002 an assistant chemist skipped steps when analyzing narcotics evidence and many others did the same. But the lab staff wasn't questioned and the claim wasn't investigated. She said a double check of two lab workers' results found incorrect answers, but no immediate action was taken against the employees.

An official for the New York City Police Department had no immediate comment.

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