The city of Fort Worth is among a trio of North Texas entities receiving federal funds to reduce DNA testing backlogs, after an October NBC DFW investigation revealed police had a backlog of more than 900 sexual assault evidence kits.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn said in a press release that Fort Worth, the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and Tarrant County were collectively awarded $2.18 million from the Department of Justice’s Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction Program. The awards were authorized through Cornyn’s Debbie Smith Act.
Sexual assault kits are used to collect evidence from the body and clothing of survivors of rape or sexual assault. The kits are transferred to a law enforcement agency to be logged as evidence and sent to a crime lab. A kit is considered backlogged when it remains untested after 30 days.
“DNA analysis is a critical tool used to identify perpetrators, exonerate innocent suspects, and solve cases,” Cornyn said in the release. “I am proud of the work we’ve done to reduce the backlog of DNA tests over the years, but I will not rest until every victim and family in Texas has the answers they’re looking for and the justice they deserve.”
When it was revealed that Fort Worth’s crime lab had missed state deadlines for testing hundreds of sexual assault evidence kits, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes took full responsibility for his department’s errors and promised decisive action. In a Nov. 5 update, Noakes said the backlog had been cut to 708, 190 less than the month prior. His department was working to fill vacant forensic science positions that contributed to the problem, Noakes said.
In the last few years, the crime lab has been embroiled in controversy. It’s been the subject of several investigations by the Texas Forensic Science Commission since 2020, as well as a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former employee. That suit was settled for $850,000 in April.
Those controversies, alongside the existing backlog, have prompted questions about the crime lab’s future. For the time being, Noakes said the lab will focus on overdue cases, while the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office takes on new cases. Fort Worth received a total of $689,620 in federal funds, while Tarrant County received $516,863.
This isn’t the first time Cornyn has helped funnel these funds to North Texas. In 2023, Fort Worth, the University of North Texas Health Science Center and Tarrant County received a total of $2.09 million through the same program. In 2022, the same entities received a total of $2.04 million.
During his time in office, Cornyn has led the charge to pass four laws intended to mitigate backlogs nationwide, including the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE or visit the Online Hotline, y en español en RAINN.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
