Public Safety & Criminal Justice on October 26, 2026 at 10:00am

The Boston City Council Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice held an October 26, 2026 hearing on Docket 0180 concerning resources for the Boston Police Crime Lab. Boston Police Department and administration representatives did not attend, so councilors received no update on staffing, compensation, equipment, sexual-assault-kit processing, or the lab’s use of advanced DNA testing. Councilors criticized the late notice of the department’s absence and said they would seek another hearing date; the meeting was adjourned without public testimony or a vote.

Councilors discussed prior budget actions and requests, including the Council’s FY25 internal reallocation of $1 million within the Boston Police Department to support the crime lab, with $700,000 identified for lab-related testing, and Councilor Flynn’s $500,000 budget amendment for sexual-assault-kit testing. The transcript does not establish that the $500,000 amendment was approved. Flynn cited state findings that 93 of 186 kits received by the lab in FY23 were not tested within the mandated 30-day period, and advocated for advanced Y-screening technology, adequate staffing and leadership, and a state-of-the-art lab. No contract award, vendor selection, or new procurement approval was identified.