Inspection of DWI testing instruments ordered by BCA after errors discovered

(FOX 9) - Following the discovery of multiple data entry errors, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is requiring law enforcement agencies across Minnesota to immediately review and verify data has been entered correctly into DataMaster (DMT) instruments currently being used for DWI enforcement.

DWI testing equipment errors

What we know:

On Friday, the BCA announced that it had suspended all DMT usage until agencies verify that gas cylinder data is correctly entered into each instrument.

The department says that each DMT instrument holds a uniquely numbered dry gas cylinder with a known alcohol concentration that serves as a control during every test to ensure the instrument is measuring alcohol accurately. 

Minnesota law enforcement are trained to administer breath tests and maintain the DMT instrument as part of impaired driving enforcement, and when the instrument is first set up, authorized law enforcement operators enter information from the cylinder into the system.

The information remains in use for all subsequent tests until the cylinder is replaced – at which point new cylinder information must be entered.

However, the BCA said it was recently discovered that, in some cases, incorrect cylinder information had been entered into the instrument, resulting in test data being potentially compromised.

What they're saying:

"The BCA is committed to the highest level of quality in our forensics lab, and this is why we are conducting this review," said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans in a statement. "We appreciate our law enforcement partners’ prompt attention to this inspection process."

What's next:

As part of the review, the BCA says it will be updating its procedures for maintaining the DMT to prevent future errors.

The department says all gas cylinder replacements and maintenance moving forward will be conducted solely by BCA personnel, effective immediately.