tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post9139279910519810641..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Conceits of city, county pols create competing crime-lab conceptsGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-32804096989842685562012-04-17T06:19:04.285-05:002012-04-17T06:19:04.285-05:00Anyone that has ever been charged with a crime mig...Anyone that has ever been charged with a crime might prefer some separation of control from the DA's office or police agency. In that sense, the county model fails like it has always failed, no one in the know believing it to provide an unbiased look at evidence.<br /><br />The city's old model was much akin to how the county does things, the difference being that it was on a much more massive scale since the county refuses to process evidence that comes from cases inside the city regardless of it also being in the county. The new city model is several steps ahead of the game in removing undue influence by those in the criminal justice system from the equation when it comes to managing the work.<br /><br />It would have been great if both agencies could have set aside politics for the betterment of society, especially the pocketbook of the taxpayers residing in both jurisdictions, but as long as each are dominated by different political parties it will never happen.Jean Val Jeannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-84791527709586959272012-04-16T13:26:19.052-05:002012-04-16T13:26:19.052-05:00However, under the proposed city model, laboratory...<i>However, under the proposed city model, laboratory operations would be managed by a board that is almost exclusively composed of non-scientists.</i> <br /><br />And non-lawyers! Worst of both worlds.<br /><br />RageAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-80997072618057427432012-04-16T10:49:41.904-05:002012-04-16T10:49:41.904-05:00It strikes me that there may be some issues of sig...It strikes me that there may be some issues of signficant substance behind the failure to reach agreement.<br /><br />The fact of the matter is that model proposed by the city in regard to oversight is a new, untested model. I can think of no public forensic laboratory nationally or internationally that is organized this way. On the other hand, the current county management model has been used for a long time in Harris County, and is commonly used elsewhere. <br /><br />The difference between the models is that in the county model the laboratory operations are unambiguously managed by scientists. However, under the proposed city model, laboratory operations would be managed by a board that is almost exclusively composed of non-scientists. <br /><br />The city model seems to be replicating the fundamental problem with police management of laboratories, which is that the managers are unable to understand in sufficient detail what is going on in the organization they are trying to manage.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-40817029904834677362012-04-16T10:44:56.063-05:002012-04-16T10:44:56.063-05:00To be clear, what they broke ground on was a genet...To be clear, what they broke ground on was a genetics lab that will be part of the National Human Performance Center run by UT. The Medical Examiner will collaborate and do genetic testing there, but the County's "Regional Crime Lab" is still on paper.Alex Buninnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-13476573822573351212012-04-16T10:29:04.156-05:002012-04-16T10:29:04.156-05:00Normally I'd agree--they need to put down the ...Normally I'd agree--they need to put down the egos and work together. But in this case, why in the world would any entity that wanted a good crime lab associate it with the City of Houston and its leadership in any way? The former HPD chief was defeated in his race for DA, largely because he was a Democrat but had the issues been vetted it would have been shown that he was in charge when the crime lab issues came to light. And now he's on city council? With a vote that still could affect a joint crime lab? With an electorate that put him there and sharing the same partisan politics as the current mayor?<br /><br />Hell no.<br /><br />RageAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com