Phoenix Police significantly reduce sexual assault kit backlog
Nov 26, 2024, 4:45 AM
Law enforcement in Phoenix say they have made headway in reducing the amount of untested rape kits. (Phoenix Police Screenshot/via YouTube)
(Phoenix Police Screenshot/via YouTube)
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Police Department says it’s massively shrinking its backlog of untested sexual assault kits.
The department’s crime lab reduced the backlog to 160 untested and unpending kits, city leaders announced last week.
That’s closer to its pre-pandemic levels, which topped out at 180 kits but rose due to COVID-related issues and staffing shortages, according to ABC15 Arizona.
In fact, in August 2023, Phoenix Police had 822 untested sexual assault kits, according to nonprofit End the Backlog.
How has Phoenix cut down backlog of untested sexual assault kits?
Phoenix Police receive around 50 new sexual assault kits each month.
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They cleared out large swaths of the backlog while processing new kits thanks to $3.4 million in additional funds the city agreed to hand over on Aug. 28, 2023.
These funds paid for Phoenix PD to outsource the DNA analysis process to DNA Labs International, Marshall University and Bode Cellmark Forensics.
Since then, 930 sexual assault kits were tested, according to a Phoenix news release from last week.
Some of the previously unsubmitted kits dated as far back as 1978.
“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to cut the sexual assault kit backlog,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in the release.
What will happen to the untested sexual assault kits in Phoenix?
The majority of the current batch of 160 kits that have yet to be tested are expected to be sent out for processing in the next month, according to the city of Phoenix.
The next step in the process is for results to come back, which can take anywhere from around two weeks to months depending on the evidence collected in the kit.
Phoenix Police will then use the DNA evidence found in the kits in their investigations of sexual assault cases.
“Solving these terrible crimes is one of our highest priorities,” Gallego said. “We’re going to eliminate the backlog once and for all — and keep it there.”
How else is Phoenix Police addressing untested sexual assault kits?
The department expects to expand its victim information portal, which launched earlier this year, to include sexual assault cases.
It’s also looking to hire more forensic scientists so it can more quickly process kits.
In fact, authorities are actively looking to hire eight forensic scientists to fight the backlog.
