ISP reviews sexual assault tracking record

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)-Idaho State Police says it is making progress in its mandate to process and track sexual assault kits.   The kits are often a key piece of evidence for investigators.

A 2020 report shows the number of kits collected has remained fairly constant since 2017, but the percentage of cases that have not been investigated has notably declined.

"The kit tracking system is designed to build trust with survivors and provide critical information to policy and lawmakers. ISP's role is to train and educate, process, and track these kits, which taken all together, means a more efficient and responsive criminal justice system," said Matthew Gamette, Director of ISP Forensic Services

ISP Forensic Services reports it hosted 49 on-site training programs last year with user agencies.  The agency purchased 640 new sexual assault kits. 513 were distributed to collection facilities across the state. 

Hospitals and clinics collected 477 kits between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020.   454 were collected during the same time frame in 2019.

Under law, kits must be submitted for analysis within 30 days.  The average time it took Idaho law enforcement agencies to submit kits last year was 39 days.   Officials say law enforcement is still struggling to determine when kits should and should not be tested.

It took the laboratory an average of 178 days to test a kit and 363 have been in the lab longer than 90 days.

Of the 477 kits collected last year, 37, or 7.8%, were ruled by law enforcement as “no evidence to support a crime being committed.” 

ISP reported that all of the known previously unsubmitted kits remaining in Idaho have now been sent to the lab for testing.

The laboratory concludes Idaho requires more training and resources for law enforcement and medical staff. 

You can review the full 2020 ISP sexual assault tracking report here.