Photos: Inside the DPS Austin crime lab

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Nearly 90 years ago, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Crime Laboratory Division started as a one-chemist operation at Camp Mabry in Austin. Since then, it has evolved into a comprehensive forensic laboratory system comprising 16 accredited labs and programs, where over 700 personnel work across the state.

DPS Crime Laboratory Division’s standard areas of analysis include:

• Trace evidence (i.e., hair, fibers, paint, glass, gunshot residue, impressions, fire debris)
• Biology/DNA
• Digital/multimedia evidence
• Firearms and toolmarks
• Friction ridge analysis (fingerprint analysis)
• Forensic documents
• Seized drugs
• Toxicology

According to the DPS website, during the past year, the Crime Lab Division has:

• Processed 115,472 requests for forensic testing and uploaded 117,482 arrestee and offender DNA samples to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)
• The Breath Alcohol program hosted 63 breath test operator schools and certified 930 new breath test operators
• The Sexual Assault Evidence (SAE) Tracking program, which allows survivors to anonymously monitor the status and location of evidence, concluded its sixth year of statewide electronic tracking on Aug. 31, 2025. To date, 61,506 sexual assault kits (SAKs) are being tracked in Track-Kit, with 10,644 kits collected statewide in 2025.

DPS is recognizing National Forensic Science Week, which is observed from Sept. 14-20. In honor of the week, DPS invited members of the media to tour the Austin Crime Laboratory located at DPS Headquarters.

During the tour, personnel from four of the Austin Crime Lab’s nine areas of specialized work explained what they do and how equipment in the lab works.

DPS’ Austin Crime Laboratory Manager Haley Yaklin said that the lab has seen significant progress over the last year, cutting down its toxicology backlog, thanks to funding it received from the 88th legislative session. She said the lab has decreased that backlog by 85%.

Yaklin also talked about another recent change for the lab; she said DPS’ Crime Laboratory Division recently moved to fully in-person evidence receiving and returning rather than mailing some of it.