City of Albuquerque - File #: R-16-140

• File #: R-16-140
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Enacted
• File created: 12/5/2016
• In control: City Council
• Final action: 1/4/2017
• Enactment date: 1/13/2017
• Enactment #: R-2017-006
• Title: F/S Creating New Priority Objectives Within The Public Safety Goal And Establishing Additional City Policy Relating To The Processing Of Untested Sexual Assault Evidence Kits In The Possession Of The Albuquerque Police Department (Lewis)

Date	Action By	Action	Result
1/13/2017	City Clerk	Published
1/13/2017	Mayor	Signed by the Mayor
1/12/2017	City Council	Sent to Mayor for Signature
1/4/2017	City Council	Passed	Pass
12/19/2016	City Council	Postponed as Substituted	Pass
12/19/2016	City Council	Substituted	Pass
12/5/2016	City Council	Introduced
12/5/2016	President	To be heard at the Council Meeting

CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SECOND COUNCIL


COUNCIL BILL NO. F/S R-16-140 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________

SPONSORED BY: Dan Lewis

RESOLUTION
title
F/S Creating New Priority Objectives Within The Public Safety Goal And Establishing Additional City Policy Relating To The Processing Of Untested Sexual Assault Evidence Kits In The Possession Of The Albuquerque Police Department (Lewis)
body
CREATING NEW PRIORITY OBJECTIVES WITHIN THE PUBLIC SAFETY GOAL AND ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL CITY POLICY RELATING TO THE PROCESSING OF UNTESTED SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE KITS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WHEREAS, DNA evidence is an invaluable investigative tool, and sexual assault evidence kits can identify an unknown assailant, reveal serial offenders, and exonerate the wrongly convicted; and
WHEREAS, in New Mexico there is currently a backlog of more than 5,000 sexual assault evidence kits that have not yet been processed, which represents thousands of leads to investigate, survivors to re-engage with compassion and care, and cases to prosecute; and
WHEREAS, in the City of Albuquerque alone there are thousands of such kits waiting to be processed; and
WHEREAS, each sexual assault kit represents a survivor who underwent an hours-long medical and forensic examination and reported the assault to the police; and
WHEREAS, each kit represents a survivor who deserves to have that kit tested and who deserves justice; and
WHEREAS, the issue of untested sexual assault evidence kits is difficult not because of a lack of effort on behalf of the police department, but rather because of a lack of capacity at APD's Crime Lab and private labs, staff turnover, and a shortage of qualified candidates; and
WHEREAS, the Justice Department's new Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) represents an opportunity to provide local communities with resources to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive...