HERE'S THE NUMBER ON THE
SCREEN.
NOW WE INVESTIGATE NEW
REPORT CONFIRMS THE NUMBER OF
UNTESTED RAPE KITS HERE IN
FLORIDA IS GROWING AT AN EXPO
NEXTAL RATE ALL ACROSS THE
STATE UP 141 PERCENT. FOR THE
FIRST TIME WE KNOW THE SIZE OF
THE STATE BACKLOG WITH MORE
THAN 13,000 UNPROCESSED SEXUAL
ASSAULT KITS. THE DEPARTMENT
OF LAW ENFORCEMENT RELEASE
FINDINGS IN THIS 32 PAGE
REPORT.
EVEN WORSE I UNCOVERED THE
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF'S OFFICE
IS RANK THE THIRD HIGHEST AMONG
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ALL
ACROSS THE STATE. JSO REPORTED
HAVING 1300 SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS
COLLECTED AND ALL UNTESTED.
THIS AFTERNOON I SAT DOWN WITH
STATE REPRESENTATIVE JANET
ATKINS OF FERN BEACH. SHE
FILED A BILL TO CHANGE TESTING
DEADLINES. AND TELLS ME THIS
REPORT FURTHER FUELS THAT
LEGISLATIVE FIRE. FOR THE
FIRST TIME WE NOW KNOW MORE
THAN 13,000 SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS
SIT UNTESTED IN LABS ALL ACROSS
FLORIDA. DNA EVIDENCE
COLLECTED AT A RAPE VICTIM'S
MOST VULNERABLE TIME. VICTIMS
DELAYED JUSTICE. CRIMINALS
ESCAPING PUNISHMENT AND
POSSIBLY ALLOWED TO STRIKE
AGAIN.
I WAS VERY SADEN AND ANGRY
ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
Reporter: STATE
REPRESENTATIVE JANET ATKINS
REACTING TO THE NEW DATA FROM
STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT. AS WE
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, ATKINS
FILED A BILL LAST FALL TO CLEAR
THE BACKLOG AND PREVENT IT FROM
EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. SHE
IMMEDIATELY WENT TO WORK ON
HOUSE BILL 179 AFTER ATTORNEY
GENERAL PAM BOND HIGHLIGHTED
THE PROBLEM FOR THE FIRST TIME
LAST FALL OF RAPE KITS GOING
UNPROCESSED IN FLORIDA. BOND
SAID AT THAT TIME THE EXACT
NUMBER OF UNTESTED KITS WAS
UNKNOWN. TODAY'S REPORT
COMMISSIONED BY LAWMAKERS FOR
300,000 DOLLARS PUT THE HARSH
REALITY ON PAPER. 13,000 PLUS
4 35 UNTESTED RAPE KITS ALL
ACROSS FLORIDA. THE FPL E
FOUND MORE THAN 9,000 OF THEM
SHOULD HAVE BEEN TESTED.
THAT'S ABOUT 70%. IN
JACKSONVILLE, 13 02 ALL
UNTESTED ACCORDING TO JS O.
THIRD HIGHEST NUMBER FROM ANY
STATE AGENCY. WE LOOKED ALL
ACROSS NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND
FOUND AN ADDITIONAL 161
UNTESTED KITS. MAJORITY COMING
FROM THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY
SHERIFF'S OFFICE. 76 RAPE KITS
STILL TO BE PROCESSED.
THESE WOMEN DESERVE JUSTICE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
THAT NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW MANY
THERE ARE THAT WE GET THEM ALL
TESTED.
Reporter: ATKINS BILL WOULD
ESTABLISH A MAXIMUM 21 DAYTIME
FRAME TO SUBMIT RAPE KITS FOR
TESTING. IT WOULD ALSO DIRECT
THE FPL E TO SUBMIT THEIR OWN
PLAN FOR CLEARING THE BACKLOG
BY THIS OCTOBER. ATKINS IS
PUSHING TO HAVE THE TESTING OF
THE BACKLOG KIT COMPLETED BY
JUNE OF 2017.
WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED A
UNANIMOUS VOTE OUT OF THE FIRST
COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE. TWO
MORE COMMITTEE TO GO. I'M
ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO SEEING
THIS BILL PASS. THIS
LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND I'LL
BE WORKING HARD THIS IS ONE OF
MY TOP PRIORITIES.
Reporter: FPL E ESTIMATES
THE CLOSE TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG
IS BETWEEN 9 AND 32 MILLION
DOLLARS. AND WILL TAKE THREE
TO NINE YEARS.
PAM BOND RELEASE ADD
STATEMENT TODAY READING IN PART
TESTING THE KIT IS A PUBLIC
SAFETY ISSUE THAT MUST BE
ADDRESSED AND IN THIS UPCOMING
LEGISLATIVE SESSION I WILL WORK
TO ENSURE OUR STATE CRIME LABS
HAVE THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO
CONTINUE TESTING UNPROCESSED
SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
HOW ABOUT THE SHERIFF'S
OFFICE. ANY RESPONSE FROM THEM
TO THIS REPORT.
Reporter: I REACHED OUT TO
THEM FIRST THING THIS MORNING
ASKING FOR INTERVIEW I DID
RECEIVE A STATEMENT FROM THE
SHERIFF HERE IN THE LAST 30
MINUTES. NOW SHERIFF WILLIAMS
SAYS IN PART QUOTE OUR UNTESTED
RAPE KITS CONTINUE TO BE
SUBMITTED AT RATE THAT CAN BE
ACCOMMODATED BY LABORATORIES.
NOW SPOKESPERSON TOLD ME THAT
YS O IS SUBMITTING RAPE KITS
EVERY SINGLE MONTH BUT SO FAR
THEY COULDN'T TELL ME EXACTLY
HOW MANY THEY ARE SUBMITTING
AND HOW MANY STILL REMAIN. NOW
YS O SAYS THEY ARE HOPEFUL
ABOUT THE NEW GRANT FUNDING
THAT THE STATE ATTORNEY OFFICE
HAS GOTTEN AND HOPING BY
WORKING IN TANDEM THEY CAN
REALLY WORK TO CLEAR OUT THE
BACKLOG AN OF COURSE WE'LL HAVE
MORE ON THAT FUNDING ON THE
10:00 O'CLOCK NEWS TONIGHT IN A
REPORT BY OUR KENT JUSTICE. IF
YOU WANT TO READ THE STATEMENTS
FROM THE SHERIFF AS WELL AS THE