SEATTLE — The Seattle Police Department has decided to test all of their sexual assault evidence kits -- including those in storage.
The department said they consulted with community partners before arriving at the decision.
The kits generally contain combs, swabs, blood collection devices, and documentation -- resultant of forensic examinations undergone by sexual assault victims.
The purpose of the kits is ‘collecting evidence left by a suspect such as blood, saliva, or semen,’ according to police.
Police say the SPD has collected 1,641 rape kits over the past decade. 365 of these kits were tested by the state crime lab, according to officials.
For information on sexual assault kit backlogs, nationally -- follow the embedded link.