In 2015, the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) received the first Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) grant from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. That funding supported the testing of any previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits the 18 law enforcement agencies in Salt Lake County had retained. The Utah Department of Public Safety, via the Utah Burea
u of Forensic Services (UBFS) outsourced the testing of over 1,700 kits from cases that occurred prior to March 22, 2015 to determine if potential matches can be found in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The countywide collaboration sought to improve victim-centered, trauma-informed investigations by holding offenders accountable, and providing victims and survivors with services and support, all while creating sustainable process improvements to prevent the future accumulation of sexual assault kits. The pilot program was so successful, that in 2017, the CCJJ applied for and received a second SAKI grant to expand the testing and add resources for the entire state of Utah. The partnership with DPS grew, by funding a victim advocate and two investigators at the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to support the 140+ law enforcement agencies in these investigations. Partially tested kits were added to inventory of previously unsubmitted kits for a statewide tally of nearly 5,000. In 2017 the Utah Legislature passed HB200 which implemented sweeping changes in the collection and processing of sexual assault kits. Mandatory kit submission and the statewide kit tracking system were implemented on July 1st, 2018. These collective efforts including financial support from SAKI and the State of Utah, multiple years of legislative changes, and collaboration amongst stakeholders/partners both system-based and community-based was unprecedented. Every backlogged sexual assault kit had been tested by October of 2020. In 2020, DPS was awarded a three-year SAKI grant to continue supporting agencies and victims anywhere in Utah. This new grant continued the investigative and advocacy support uninterrupted, including training and resources including supplemental victim Therapeutic Treatment Funds ($2,500 per victim), the victim information line, and intelligence support via the Statewide Information & Analysis Center (SIAC). It also made it possible for SBI to offer increased training outreach by partnering with Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), and the Utah Prosecution Council (UPC). Particularly exciting about this grant are the addition of advanced DNA testing options, and inclusion of Unsolved Sexually-Motivated Homicides (48) dating back to 1965 in the inventory of eligible cases. All of the nearly 5,050 case qualify for advanced testing, or retesting of evidence with new technology and other resources including Forensic Genetic Genealogy. These investigations and prosecutions are still ongoing, and if you have any questions about SAKI or how it affects the state of Utah, please call SBI at 801-965-4747, the victim advocate directly at 801-893-1145, or check out our website through the Utah Department of Public Safety https://sbi.utah.gov/victim-services/sexual-assault-kit-initiative-saki/
