December 31, 2020
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7,814 Tests Completed, Resulting in 64
Arrests
Carson
City, NV – Today,
Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced that Nevada’s sexual assault kit
testing initiative has concluded, with all previously backlogged sexual assault
kits from prior to 2016 having completed forensic testing. Recently, the Washoe
County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Laboratory completed testing on over 1,100
kits from northern Nevada. This milestone, along with the completion of testing
southern Nevada kits from earlier this year brings the goal of testing all
previously untested sexual assault kit in the state of Nevada to a close.
In 2015,
Nevada’s Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Working Group was established to eliminate
the decades-in-the-making backlog, develop policies and protocols relating to
the response to sexual assault, introduce legislation and enhance Nevada’s
resources for investigation, prosecution and victim services. Over the years,
the Working Group has expanded to include representatives from law enforcement,
prosecution, forensic laboratories, victim services, Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiners, the domestic violence and sexual assault dual coalition,
researchers, bipartisan members of the Legislature and other stakeholders.
Victim
outreach and services, investigations, arrests and prosecutions remain ongoing,
results of this initiative thus far are as follows:
Kits Inventoried DNA Matches Arrests Made Issued
Warrants
“As law enforcement, there is
perhaps nothing more important than helping our vulnerable communities and
providing them with the support and resources they need to move forward,” said
Attorney General Aaron D. Ford. “Now, every Nevadan impacted by the state’s
sexual assault kit backlog can rest easy knowing that their results are in-hand
and that law enforcement stands ready to assist should they decide to pursue
justice. My office has long been a champion for these survivors and we are a
proud to be a part of this critical moment in our state’s history.”
“This year, my office was
awarded a 2020 Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant, making my office the only
Attorney General’s Office in the country to be awarded six consecutive sexual
assault kit grants since the inception of the program,” continued AG Ford.
“This is a major milestone that has been years in the
making,” said Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam. “The scientists in our
Forensic Science Division have been working tirelessly, especially throughout
this past year, to create a new workflow and find efficiencies. Specifically,
our Forensic Biology Unit scientists who, because of their dedication and knowledge,
have increased productivity 100% in 10 months. I am incredibly proud of their
hard work and commitment to achieving this goal. We also couldn’t have reached
this milestone without the support of the Attorney General’s Office.”
Since 2015,
the State of Nevada has allocated nearly $15 million towards this initiative,
including $3.68 pledged by the Attorney General’s Office, $3 million pledged by
the Nevada Legislature and approximately $8 million secured through grant
funding by the Department of Justice. In 2017, the Nevada Legislature passed
Assembly Bill 97, which mandated that the attorney general help establish a
statewide program to track sexual assault kits and report its progress. In June
2019, the tracking system went live through Nevada’s Department of Public
Safety. Now, survivors of sexual assault can track dates and milestones from
the time that they report a sexual assault, to the retrieval of the kit by law
enforcement, the testing of the kit, availability of test results, Combined DNA
Index System (CODIS) entry/hits, law enforcement investigation review and
results, and prosecution review and results.
To learn
more about Nevada’s sexual assault kit backlog and resources available to
survivors, visit our statewide sexual assault website which is updated at the
beginning of every month: endnevadasbacklog.ag.nv.gov
Watch AG Ford's message to survivors and community below.
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