Problems at APD's DNA lab could have been prevented

GO TO KXAN DOT COM.PROBLEMS AT
APD'S DNA LAB COULD HAVE BEEN
PREVENTED.THAT'S WHAT THE MAN
WHO HELPED BRING DNA ANALYSIS
TO THE DEPARTMENT IS SAYING
TONIGHT.CONCERNS ABOUT
CONTAMINATION AND INVALID
SCIENCE FORCED THE LAB TO
CLOSE LAST SUMMER.KXAN'S
BRITTANY GLAS SHOWS US WHERE
HE THINKS-EVERYTHING WENT
WRONG.MARK GILLESPIE: "THOSE
ARE HUGE FLAWS. THEY'RE HUGE
BREAKDOWNS."FLAWS PRESENTED
FRIDAY TO THE "TEXAS FORENSIC
SCIENCE COMMISSION" ...
DOCUMENTING CONTAMINATION AND
"QUALITY" ISSUES AT A-P-D'S D--
N--A LAB.COMMISSION: "NOBODY
WENT INTO THE LABORATORY FOR
THOSE EIGHT DAYS. THAT'S MY
UNDERSTANDING THAT NOBODY
WALKED BY, AND SAW THAT IT WAS
OUT." MARK GILLESPIE: "THAT IS
UNACCEPTABLE. THAT SHOULD
NEVER, NEVER HAVE HAPPENED."
MARK GILLESPIE TOOK OVER AS
DIRECTOR AT A-P-D'S "FORENSIC
SCIENCE DIVISION" IN 19-96...
HE SAYS HE MADE SEVERAL BIG
CHANGES TO IMPROVE THE LAB...
BUT AFTER LEAVING MORE THAN A
DECADE AGO HE'S NOT SURPRISED
WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE...MARK
GILLESPIE: "THE LAB HAS NOT
BEEN PROPERLY SUPERVISED,
MANAGED. THERE'S BEEN A
DEFICIENCY IN LEADERSHIP. AND
PEOPLE HAVE NOT BEEN HELD
ACCOUNTABLE."GILLESPIE SAYS --
IT COMES DOWN TO THE
áANALYSTSá ...MARK GILLESPIE:
"IF THEY ARE LAZY, SLOPPY,
UNEDUCATED OR UNDERTRAINED,
THEY'RE GONNA MAKE MISTAKES."
MISTAKES THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM "CAN'T AFFORD TO MAKE."
MARK GILLESPIE: "FAILURES LIKE
THESE CAN MEAN THAT SOMEONE
SPENDS THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN
JAIL."THAT'S WHY HE SAYS --
THERE'S NO CHOICE BUT TO
REBUILD.MARK GILLESPIE: "PUT
SYSTEMS IN PLACE, AND PEOPLE
IN PLACE, THAT ARE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE. SO THAT THESE
THINGS DON'T EVER HAPPEN
AGAIN."BRITTANY GLAS, K-X-A-N
NEWS.## WE HAVE BEEN COVERING
PROBLEMS AT APD'S CRIME LAB
SINCE WE FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT
THEM LAST SUMMER.FOR AN
EXTENSIVE LOOK AT ALL OUR

Problems at APD's DNA lab could have been prevented

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