Think Tank Recommends Additional Crime Lab In Chattanooga To Increase Turnaround For Evidence Processing

A report released by the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) shows that a Tennessee think tank has recommended the addition of a TBI Crime Lab in Chattanooga to help ease the current backlog of evidence processing.

TACIR began their study after the 2022 murder of Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher drew attention to the backlog of rape kits awaiting processing in the three TBI crime labs across the state. 

While additional agents were hired to help process those kits, evidence processing in other crime categories has become increasingly slower.