WICHITA — Wichita police say all sexual assault kits will now be submitted for forensic testing, including a backlog of nearly 1,700 kits going back to 2002.
Police Chief Gordon Ramsey announced Friday that all the backlogged kits will be submitted by the end of the year.
The Wichita Eagle reports that previously, law enforcement officers would determine which kits were sent for testing.
Between 2002 and 2015, more than 1,000 rape kits were not submitted by Wichita police. Between 2015 and Friday, a backlog of around 600 rape kits built up.
The kits contain DNA taken from women reporting a rape and photos that show their injuries.
In April, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation recommended all state law enforcement agencies submit all rape kits for testing.
