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| SAKI HOME | TOOLKIT | WEBINARS | VIRTUAL ACADEMY |
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In FY2016, SAKI awarded the New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS) a $1,999,940 grant, which they have used to complete DNA testing on more than 1,500 sexual assault kits (SAKs) and establish a statewide SAK tracking database. The department has also used the funds to train law enforcement personnel and develop, implement, and coordinate multidisciplinary policies. New Mexico DPS has implemented a statewide sexual assault response policy, crafted a brochure highlighting the rights of sexual assault survivors, and provided numerous trainings to agencies across the state.
In FY2020, New Mexico DPS received an additional $2,141,147 to assist multidisciplinary community response teams and develop and optimize policies and procedures to support a coordinated response to processing SAKs. The funding will also be used to provide resources and training to local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. These education efforts will improve sexual assault investigation and prosecution outcomes and optimize statewide victim notification protocols and services.
For more information on the specific SAKI awards for this site, see the table below.
| Year | Amount | Purpose Area |
|---|---|---|
| FY2016 | $1,999,940 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
| FY2020 | $2,141,147 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
Please direct all media inquiries to:
New Mexico Governor says local law enforcement rape kit backlog cleared
— Matthew Watkins, ABC 7 Amarillo, Dec 14, 2018
The New Mexico Department of Public Safety State Crime Laboratory has tested all of their 1,388 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits.
Santa Fe PD is ahead in processing rape kits—because they already cleaned out a freezer full of them
— Elizabeth Miller, Santa Fe Reporter, Dec 14, 2016
In January 2014, officers at the Santa Fe Police Department began processing 313 sexual assault evidence kits, the results of which have already helped to solve cases. New Mexico has been awarded a federal grant to assist public safety personnel in processing old kits and developing a system to track new kits and send them to a lab for processing in a timely manner. To learn more, read the full article.
Audit points to causes of New Mexico's rape kit backlog
— Susan Montoya Bryan, AP The Big Story, Dec 6, 2016
A recent audit in New Mexico noted that the state leads the nation in untested rape kits per capita, and that one-fifth of the SAKs were untested. New Mexico’s federal grant award will help the state test these backlogged SAKs and develop a tracking system for future SAKs. For more information on New Mexico’s backlog, read the full article.
Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases. Through this program, funding is provided 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.
