Mobile Police Department SAK Evidence Storage Renovation Project

The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, and prosecutor’s offices to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions’ approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) - i.e. those SAKs that have never been submitted to a crime laboratory.

The goal of the SAKI is the creation of a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to these cases whenever possible through a victim-centered approach, as well as to build jurisdictions’ capacity to prevent the development of conditions that lead to high numbers of unsubmitted SAKs in the future. The holistic program provides jurisdictions with resources to address their unsubmitted SAK issue, including support to inventory, test, and track SAKs; create and report performance metrics; access necessary training to increase effectiveness in addressing the complex issues associated with these cases and engage in multidisciplinary policy development, implementation, and coordination; and improve practices related to investigation, prosecution, and victim engagement and support in connection with evidence and cases resulting from the testing process.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 National SAKI Program will provide funds to recipients to implement or enhance the comprehensive BJA model to address the issues that underline the problem of unsubmitted SAKs or to expand their existing SAKI project to include the collection of lawfully owed DNA samples from convicted offenders.

The Mobile Police Department (MPD) is awarded a FY 2016 SAKI award under Purpose Area 1 to renovate their sexual assault kit storage room. The recipient received a FY 2015 SAKI award to address the backlog of sexual assault kits (SAKs). The Mobile Police Department Identification Unit handles the evidence processing for over 10,800 incidents each year, including over fifty (50) sexual assault-related incidents each year. There is currently a certified backlogged inventory of 1,412 unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs). This backlog has resulted in the delayed apprehension and prosecution of criminals within the region. During the inventory and certification of SAKs process, many issues arose regarding the physical storage of the SAKs. The MPD Sexual Assault Storage Room is in need of renovation due to the severe lack of storage space, the need for climate control to address excessive moisture and humidity issues, lack of ventilation, and other issues. The Mobile Police Department (MPD) will use FY 2016 SAKI funds to facilitate the renovation of the MPD Sexual Assault Kit Storage Room to efficiently store unsubmitted SAKs.

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