VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL)--A crime lab in Valdosta can now analyze drugs. This means drug cases could be prosecuted faster. The crime lab opened a few years ago and law enforcers say this expansion could save the community money.
Often times criminal cases take a long time to go to court. Deputies say one of the reasons is the time it takes to process the evidence.
"A lot of times the backlog from the state lab is what's held up those cases in the courts," said Lowndes County Chief Deputy Joe Crow.
The Valdosta Lowndes Regional Crime Lab can now analyze drugs.
In the past law enforcers say it's taken months to have controlled substances in the state labs tested, but now they say locally it could take just 21 days to complete. Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress says it'll also save money.
"We used to pay to get chemists from the state to testify now we have folks right here," said Chief Childress.
Three chemists are now fully trained for the job. They started analyzing drug cases Monday.
"We try to figure out what this is to prove for the court purposes and basically it's helping law enforcement officers in the community," said chemist James Thornton.
Evidence prosecutors will use in court against suspects arrested in the city and the county.
Valdosta Police and the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office say in the future they'll fully open the drug identification service to outside agencies. Investigators say this will help lessen the heavy workload on state labs.
