The city of Fort Worth is among a trio of North Texas entities receiving federal funds to reduce DNA testing backlogs, after an October 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鈥檚 Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction Program. The awards were authorized through Cornyn鈥檚 .
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 .
鈥淒NA analysis is a critical tool used to identify perpetrators, exonerate innocent suspects, and solve cases,鈥� Cornyn said in the release. 鈥淚 am proud of the work we鈥檝e 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鈥檙e looking for and the justice they deserve.鈥�
When it was revealed that Fort Worth鈥檚 crime lab had missed state deadlines for testing hundreds of sexual assault evidence kits, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes took full and promised decisive action. In a , 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鈥檚 been the subject of by the Texas Forensic Science Commission since 2020, as well as a 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鈥檚 future. For the time being, Noakes said the lab will focus on overdue cases, while the Tarrant County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office takes on new cases. Fort Worth received a total of $689,620 in federal funds, while Tarrant County received $516,863.
This isn鈥檛 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 through the same program. In 2022, the same entities received a total of .
During his time in office, Cornyn has led the charge to pass four laws intended to mitigate backlogs nationwide, including the .
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it鈥檚 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 , y en espa帽ol en .
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