By: Associated Press//December 6, 2017//
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Attorney General Brad Schimel says a backlog has developed again at the state crime labs.
Schimel told The Associated Press during a year-end interview that an influx of evidence submissions is to blame. He says submissions have increased 80 percent over the past two years.
His predecessor, J.B. Van Hollen, eliminated the backlog by hiring more analysts.
Schimel says the Department of Justice is more strictly enforcing submission guidelines and has created 11 temporary lab positions.
He says if things don’t improve, he’ll ask lawmakers to let him hire more permanent analysts. But he wants to try to take remedial steps internally first.