TBI answers array of questions for Media Day
JACKSON, Tenn. — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation opened the doors to their newest lab.
On Wednesday for Media Day, representatives from the TBI spoke about several topics.
One of the first items discussed had to do with their turnaround time for sexual assault testing.
The statewide average peaked in August of last year with a turnaround time of 45.4 weeks. That time has since then gone down.
“In May of 2023 we were down to 22.7 weeks statewide. We cut our turnaround time for sex offense requests in half,” said Mike Lyttle, the Assistant Director for the Forensic Services Division.
The best way to continue to have that turnaround time lower is to hire more people and get them trained was another big topic discussed at the event.
“Hiring people is a challenge, but training people is a bigger challenge. What is going to be our key to success long-term is getting people, keeping people, and getting them trained,” Lyttle said.
They also talked about the latest trends in drugs submitted statewide. One of the notables in the top 10 was heroin at number seven.
Heroin is in a decline because it was commonly used with fentanyl. Now fentanyl is used more on its own.
Fentanyl is at number three and it has risen in recent years. It is the drug that is most common in overdose deaths.
Methamphetamine is number one on the list. However, the TBI says it is rarely being made here in Tennessee.
“Now the interesting thing about methamphetamine, now the legislature did a great job in passing laws to regulate Sudafed that were used to produce methamphetamine. Unfortunately, that has not led to a decline in the methamphetamine that we are seeing. Because the meth that we currently get is very pure meth that is almost certainly made in a super lab over in Mexico,” Lyttle said.
The event also included a tour around the facility to see special agent forensic scientists working in firearms and toolmarking, forensic biology, forensic chemistry, and toxicology.
The Jackson lab is the the TBI’s newest, and it was built to meet the needs of West Tennessee.
SEE ALSO: New TBI facility brings changes to law enforcement in West Tennessee
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