Rape kits have been the topic of conversation since the beginning of the serial killer investigation in July. Now two organizations — one nationally and one locally — are devoting their time to raising public awareness about testing rape kits and to raising money to pay for the tests.
Howard Safir, former New York City police commissioner, said there are between 300,000 to 500,000 untested rape kits nationwide. A rape kit is evidence such as hair and bodily fluids gathered after a person has been sexually assaulted. Safir heads the National Rape Evidence Project, which gives money to police departments and crime labs to test rape kits.
He said there is a need to get the kits tested because the kits have the ability to catch criminals, prevent future rapes and can get innocent people out of jail.
He said in New York there was a backlog of about 16,000 kits, and authorities have been working since 1996 with $12 million to get all of the kits tested. The kits were finished in March, Safir said.
State Police Lt. William Davis previously told The Reveille the crime lab has about 3,100 untested kits.
Charlotte Johnston leads Community Partners for Forensic Science — a local organization raising money to get the state kits tested. She said she was frustrated to learn there were so many women whose cases had not been solved.
Safir said most states only test rape kits if the victim knows the offender because otherwise it would be too costly.
Davis said Louisiana’s crime lab kits were tested for blood and semen but not DNA because the technology was not available.
The state legislature recently appropriated $650,000 in surplus funds from the House budget to test the kits.
Davis said the kits will be tested starting with sexual assault cases, followed by homicides and violent crimes.
Safir said most criminals follow a path from burglaries, robberies, armed robberies and rapes to murder.
He said it is important to test all kits because it could prevent a criminal from committing acts of violence.
In addition to testing rape kits, Safir thinks police should take DNA from all arrestees and convicted felons.
Rep. Hunt Downer, R-Houma, and Sen. Jay Dardenne, R-Baton Rouge, are sponsoring bills in the 2003 Legislative Session that allow DNA samples to be taken from all felons, certain misdemeanor offenders and juveniles arrested for a felony.
Though funds are not secure for the new bills, Johnston said her organization will be able to finance some tests even though the state should finance the legislation.
Johnston said the state’s crime lab will apply for a grant through her organization, and after surveying different testing labs, she potentially would award the crime lab with a certain amount of money for testing.
Safir said his organization awards money to police departments or crime labs personally so they can choose who will test the kits.