Olympia, WA – The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is addressing a growing backlog of firearms cases at its crime labs in Vancouver, Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane.
The backlog reached 955 cases as of July 1, 2025, with a current wait time of 379 days, WSP said in a release.
WSP said the Crime Laboratory Division (CLD) has made strides by adding eight new Forensic Firearm Scientists over the past two years. Four trainees have completed the rigorous training and are examining evidence, while two more are expected to finish by mid-to-late August. The remaining two will complete training by the end of the year.
“The bottom line is that the number of cases where firearms play a part in criminal activity has grown, and we must restructure and grow our forensics capacity. Accordingly, I have ordered the hiring of additional scientists in hopes of doubling our testing capacity, reducing the backlog, and keeping abreast with the rising needs,” said WSP Chief John R Batiste.
Division Commander Gene Lawrence noted the challenges of training new scientists. “Training so many new scientists in such a highly specific discipline all at once has its challenges,” he said. Despite this, Lawrence expects the backlog to peak at 1,054 cases this summer, with a 10% reduction anticipated by January 2026.
WSP aims to reduce the backlog significantly by July 2026 and achieve a 60% reduction by January 2027. The ultimate goal is to consistently resolve firearms cases within 120 days by January 2028.
