Idaho hopes to test most backlogged rape kits by end of 2019
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho State Police lab is putting a dent in the number of backlogged rape kits, according to a recent report.
The 2018 sexual assault kit tracking report released by Idaho State Police Forensic Services shows that the state performed 473 rape kit exams last year, and the lab received 620 kits for testing, the Idaho Statesman reported Thursday.
That means police submitted nearly 150 old kits.
The old kits likely were discovered when new laws went into place after a statewide audit in 2016. Prior to 2016, law enforcement agencies were not required to turn the kits into the lab for testing for a variety of reasons.
Since then, legislation has passed that regulates submissions and tracking.