The Kentucky State Police laboratory has received $1.9 million of $79 million announced nationally to help reduce a backlog of untested rape kits.
The grants were announced Thursday from the New York district attorney and the U.S. Justice Department. Kentucky's grant is from the New York prosecutor's office.
State police said in a news release the money will pay for up to 3,300 kits to be outsourced and for the formation of a task force to focus on policies for automatic submission of the kits.
The legislature this year directed the Kentucky auditor to determine how many kits were untested at Kentucky police agencies. State police said the inquiry resulted in submission of more than 500 kits in addition to 315 the lab had already located. The audit is continuing.
