Title
U.S. Department of Justice National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant
Action
Action:
Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant in the amount of $837,342 from the U.S. Department of Justice over a three year period to test backlogged sexual assault kits and hire personnel for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Crime Laboratory Division and Sexual Assault Unit/Cold Case Unit.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Kerr Putney, Police
Melanie Peacock, Police
Matthew Mathis, Police
Explanation
§ The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for a FY 2017 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Program.
§ On September 28, 2015, City Council authorized the city manager to accept a grant from the New York County District Attorney’s Office to test 885 unprocessed sexual assault kits.
§ On October 10, 2016, City Council authorized the city manager to accept a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to test 300 remaining unprocessed sexual assault kits (SAKs).
§ The objective of the FY 2017 SAKI grant is to provide funding to test “partially tested” SAKs that were subjected to serological (blood and other bodily fluids) screening or previous non-Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) eligible DNA testing methodologies.
§ The FY 2017 SAKI grant award will allow CMPD to conduct DNA testing on “partially tested” SAKs in the hope of yielding a CODIS eligible profile that could potentially solve cases that pre-dated DNA testing.
§ CMPD will use its most recent FY 2017 SAKI grant to fund the following:
- Outsource 600 partially tested SAKs to an accredited lab.
- Purchase two laptops for the part-time, hire-back Sexual Assault Unit detectives, funded by the FY 2016 SAKI grant, to conduct case follow-up, and contact victims.
- Hire one part-time former assistant district attorney for 1,040 hours annually to research and prepare cases for prosecution that have resulted from CODIS hits.
- Lease one vehicle to allow travel to area hospitals to deliver supplies and training to nurses (site coordinator), and to meet with victims and attend sexual assault response team meetings (victim advocate).
§ The site coordinator and victim advocate are funded by the FY 2016 SAKI grant.
§ The total amount of the grant award is $837,342.
§ This grant does not require the City to match funds.
§ The grant period is October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2020.
§ The City must accept this award by October 23, 2017.
§ At the conclusion of the grant, CMPD will evaluate the need for the grant-funded positions.
Fiscal Note
Funding: United States Department of Justice Grant Fund