Every law enforcement agency certified through the Kentucky Law Enforcement Foundation Program Fund has adopted new sexual assault policies mandated by the 2016 General Assembly. The changes are aimed at preventing another backlog of rape kits.
Kentucky Justice Sec. John Tilley is hailing the announcement as a milestone – as the state looks to scrap policies that contributed to an accumulation of more than 3,000 untested sexual assault kits.
Under Senate Bill 63, also known as the SAFE Act, agencies participating in the fund were required to institute new policies guiding collection and transport of the kits, as well as the notification process for victims. Eileen Recktenwald with the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs says the change will increase the probability of more successfully prosecuted cases and help “ensure a trauma-informed approach to the investigation of this crime.”
The policy overhaul coincides with an influx of new legislature approved money – $4.5 million requested by Gov. Matt Bevin – to go toward increased staffing and resources for the Kentucky State Police crime lab. In a recent progress report, Attorney General Andy Beshear said that state authorities have tested just over one-third of the shelved kits.
