HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The Hollywood Police Department has requested the Broward Sheriff's Office Crime Lab to review its evaluations of rape kits.
An audit initiated by Hollywood Chief of Police Frank Fernandez revealed that numerous rape kits were being held in the police departments property and evidence unit, and had not been analyzed.
Recommended Videos
The audit looked at 162 sexual assault cases and found 94 cases in which the rape kit was not submitted, received or reviewed by the BSO Crime Lab.
Of the 94 cases there were 24 cases for immediate submission to the BSO Crime Lab; 19 cases for secondary submission to the lab; and 51 cases in which it appeared there would be no evidentiary value in submitting the kit for DNA analysis.
To date, all 24 of the immediate submission cases had been accepted by the lab, 13 of which have been reviewed and/or analyzed.
The Hollywood Police Department has requested the lab to not exclude any kits for analysis. The police department has also enacted new procedures for handling rape kits including having the investigating detective immediately obtain the kit after they are notified of its availability, and complete the BSO submission of evidence form, and getting a copy from the lab.