Not every law enforcement agency has complied with an executive order for them to look for untested rape kits in their possession. Governor Fallin issued the executive order in April 2017 with a deadline of December 30, 2017. Only about 60 percent of the sheriff’s offices and less than half of the municipal police departments across the state have responded.
The Oklahoma Task Force on Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence requested the executive order.
“We should be doing everything we can to support the survivors of this horrific crime,” said Fallin. “This information is crucial to ensure rape victims are able to seek justice and begin the healing process.”
Fallin has set a February 15 deadline for law enforcement agencies to comply or notify the Task Force that they haven’t performed the audit yet. For those failing to comply, Fallin threatened to hold back federal grant money which is administered by the state.
The information complied by February 15 will be used in the Task Force’s report. It will also publish a list of law enforcement agencies which failed to comply. That report is expected by July 1.
“Gathering this information is an important first step in bringing justice to sexual assault survivors whose cases have been delayed for years,” Fallin said. “Law enforcement agencies need to account for untested kits in their custody so that communities can begin to take steps to hold offenders accountable.”
Fallin formed the Oklahoma Task Force on Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence to address the backlog of sexual assault forensic evidence kits, commonly known as rape kits, in the criminal justice system in Oklahoma.
