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FDLE Clears 8,000 ‘Rape Kit’ Backlog; DNA Matches Returned From Local Cases
September 29, 2019
The state has processed a backlog of sexual assault kits, resulting in possibly hundreds of new cases for law enforcement. In Escambia County, the process won’t help any Escambia County Sheriff’s Office cases, but it may result in solved cases for Pensacola Police.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement completed a three-year project to process older sexual assault kits, often called rape kits, submitted by local law enforcement agencies to FDLE labs following a 2016 Sexual Assault Kit Assessment.
In total, 8,023 sexual assault kits were processed resulting in 1,814 CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) hits. CODIS enables federal, state and local agencies to compare DNA profiles electronically, linking crimes to each other and known offenders.
Of the five sexual assault kits that were in the backlog from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, there were zero database hits, according to FDLE. Of the 35 kits processed for the Pensacola Police, there were five database hits. Not all hits are actionable. An “actionable hit” is a match to the DNA database that provides new information to the investigation.
“Ensuring that law enforcement has the appropriate tools to properly process sexual assault kits in a timely manner is important in helping solve crimes in Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Victims deserve our support, and they should know that under my administration justice will prevail.”
“This is an extraordinary accomplishment and I am grateful to FDLE and all our law enforcement partners who worked diligently to eliminate the backlog of previously untested sexual assault kits,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody. “Not only was the backlog eliminated, procedures were adopted and advances made in an effort to prevent future backlogs.”
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One Response to “FDLE Clears 8,000 ‘Rape Kit’ Backlog; DNA Matches Returned From Local Cases”
Well done