HOUSTON -- For years, 11 News has uncovered problems inside the Houston Police Department’s crime lab, and the reports lead to big changes.

But you may not know there’s another crime lab in our area, and it rarely makes the news.

The Harris County crime lab is recognized as one of the top labs in the state. 

Mike Sutton ran the FBI’s Houston crime scene unit. Often he sent his evidence to a  Houston lab.

“I could take it to them — I was certain I would get it back done right in a timely manner,” the 35-year federal agent said.

Not HPD’s beleaguered crime lab, but one a few miles away you probably don’t even know exists.

Harris County has a combined medical examiner and forensics lab that is the largest in Texas after the Department of Public Safety’s state lab.

“It’s one of the top labs in Texas and perhaps even in the U.S.,” Sutton said.

So what is Harris County doing right? Self-policing, certification and state-of-the-art equipment, kind of like on TV.

Like any successful program, you have to be willing to pay for it. Since 2003, Harris County has upped the budget from $10 million to $18 million dollars, nearly doubling the staff to nearly 200 employees.

The county bought a new DNA robot.

“That eliminates any possibility of error,” Harris County Crime Lab Analyst Mark Powell said. “It also speeds up time.”

Chemical analysis used to take 30 minutes. But with the new instrument, lab analysts say the process will only take seconds.

So can cases now be solved inside a prime time hour? Things always look easier on TV.