The city of Houston is taking a major step to address overcrowded conditions and “drug-addicted rats” in its police department’s property room. The city and the district attorney’s office work together to destroy outdated evidence, making room for more current cases.

The property room currently holds more than 1.2 million pieces of evidence spread across two downtown locations, some dating back to the 1940s. Items such as drugs, bikes and even rocks are among the items stored. However, officials said the overwhelming evidence creates significant problems, including attracting rodents.

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Houston Mayor John Whitmire said that some of the seized narcotics are drawing rats into the property room. “We got 400,000 pounds of marijuana in storage. The rats are the only ones enjoying it,” Whitmire said.

One incident in which rats compromised a case has highlighted the urgency of addressing the issue. Officials stressed that the problem of rodents, bugs and fungus in property rooms is widespread across the country, not just in Houston.

The Houston Police Department’s rat infestation has affected over 3,000 criminal cases. Prosecutors have notified defense attorneys that rats have entered evidence in these cases.

A previous policy prevented the destruction of narcotics entered into evidence before 2005, regardless of the case status. However, the DA’s office has shortened that timeline, allowing for the destruction of evidence for cases before 2015.

Whitmire emphasized the importance of clearing out unnecessary evidence, saying, “So much evidence is kept and stored that is no longer needed, that has no impact on the resolution of that charge, that conviction or even that innocence.”

Whitmire said that by reducing the size of the property room, more officers can return to patrolling the streets. The Houston Police Department also plans to continue permanently tracking and recording evidence.

Whitmire added that Houston’s police department will serve as a model for other law enforcement agencies facing similar challenges.

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Officials said only evidence deemed unnecessary would be destroyed. However, according to the city’s police chief, that effort could cost millions of dollars.