NOPD was awarded a $1 million grant on Sept. 10 to improve the backlog of sexual assault kits used in criminal investigations.
The award is part of a $41 million grant given to 20 jurisdictions to address the issue of the number of untested sexual assault kits across the country.
“We are making great progress in building strong systems of accountability that will give the department the tools we need to ensure justice for victims of sexual assault,” said NOPD Superintendent Michael Harrison. “These federal dollars will help provide additional staffing resources and new technology to better track and manage testing of sexual assault kits and ensure that we never develop a backlog again.”