PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Officers in the Phoenix Police Department make thousands of drug seizures every year. Once those drugs are tagged and bagged, the next step isn’t just booking them into evidence; it’s proving what they actually are.
Forensic scientist Erica Bell said that’s where the department’s drug lab comes into play. She is the section supervisor for the Controlled Substances Unit, which handles an average of 30 to 60 cases daily.
“What we’re seeing is mostly fentanyl and meth,” she said. “When I started 20 years ago, fentanyl was not a thing. You really didn’t see it except for in patches or liquids that were taken from the hospital.”…