Rape kits sit in labs, untested as required

ALBANY — Hundreds of rape kits are sitting untested in New York State Police crime laboratories as standards are being skirted, a situation that’s left law enforcement officials also questioning whether the labs can keep up with new pre-trial discovery rules.

A law passed in 2016 placed requirements on how much time law enforcement and crime labs had to collect, process and return the kits. It also instituted increased reporting requirements meant to streamline the system and increase the accountability of the labs and law enforcement agencies. As of August 2019, over 1,500 kits were still in the possession of State Police, according to records obtained by the Times Union.

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