Northwest Missouri law enforcement agencies and health care providers are being recognized for their exceptional work on sexual assault cases. Three law enforcement agencies and one medical facility in Buchanan County have received a prestigious Community Partner Award for their invaluable assistance with the Attorney General’s Safe Kits Initiative. This initiative plays a crucial role in clearing the backlog of untested sexual assault evidence.
The recipients of this esteemed award are the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri Western Department of Safety, St. Joseph Police Department, and Mosaic Life Care.
In a news release, Attorney General Andrew Bailey expressed his gratitude towards the partners, stating, “We want to recognize our partners who have assisted in clearing the backlog of untested sexual assault kits throughout the state. These recipients and their efforts are vital to achieving justice for every victim of an unspeakable crime. We would not have made it this far without them.”
The Attorney General’s SAFE Kits Initiative has been an integral part of the national sexual assault kit initiative since 2018. Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, valuable resources are provided to assist state and local governments in counting and testing kits used to collect forensic evidence of sexual assault.
Typically, these kits are administered by hospitals and health care providers. They contain swabs of evidence from various parts of the victim’s body, as well as bags to collect fingernail and hair samples. Once the evidence is collected, the victim has the option to file a police report, initiating a criminal investigation.
By testing these kits, law enforcement agencies can upload DNA profiles into a national database, significantly improving the chances of successful investigation and prosecution of cases.
In 2018, Missouri received a three-year grant from the initiative, followed by another grant in 2020. The attorney general’s office identified a total of 7,019 sexual assault kits utilizing the 2018 grant. Of these kits, law enforcement agencies held 5,670 (81%) and health care providers held 1,089 (15.5%). Nonprofits and prisons held the remaining 260 kits (3.7%).
With the 2020 grant, an additional 12,182 sexual assault kits were discovered in the state. Law enforcement agencies held 11,491 (over 98%), while health care providers held 241 (less than 2%).
During the 2020 cycle, the St. Joseph Police Department identified 138 kits, including three that remained untested despite being associated with police reports. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office identified 44 kits, two of which were untested but linked to police reports. The Missouri Western Department of Safety successfully tested one kit.
Sheriff Bill Puett emphasized the importance of testing in delivering justice to victims, stating, “Sexual assault is a very heinous and violent crime, and oftentimes the victim doesn’t know their attacker. It’s extremely important that we can locate and identify suspects involved in this significant act of violence. We’ve always taken a leadership role in ensuring these kits are processed, and we appreciate the attorney general’s office for their continued support of this program.”
The SAFE Kit Initiative staff has recorded three felony convictions from the kits tested thus far. They are actively monitoring nine pending criminal cases and investigating more than 455 DNA hits that match potential suspects.
Attorney General Bailey acknowledged the crucial role played by the exceptional hospitals and law enforcement agencies in the area, stating, “This progress would be impossible without great hospitals and law enforcement agencies that serve our area.”
If you have any inquiries, please feel free to contact Jenna Wilson at [email protected].
