About the Author
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.
Newsletter Signup
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Most Popular Stories
- Council approves grant award to replace Barton Springs Road Bridge
- Austin Independent School district buys more time for plan to address Dobie Middle School, but prepares for seismic shifts
- Homelessness strategy plan calls for $101M in spending from city, partner groups
- Firefighters, city reach agreement on retirement fund
- Rite of spring: Dog-killing algae makes an early appearance in Austin waterways
-
Discover News By District
Popular Whispers
Sorry. No data so far.
Council to vote on funds for rape kit testing
Wednesday, February 14, 2018 by Jo Clifton
Council is set to add more than $220,000 to a contract for Sorenson Forensics to help the city finally eliminate the backlog of sexual assault kits waiting for testing. Acting Police Chief Brian Manley said that the city currently has a backlog of 497 kits. Of those, 215 will go to Sorenson, with the rest already assigned to other labs. Manley said he wanted to increase funding for Sorenson because it currently has “increased capacity” to take on additional kits. “The expectation is that we will have the kits out by the end of May,” he said, adding that the turnaround time would be 60 to 120 days, so the backlog should be eliminated and the kits tested by the end of September.
Join Your Friends and Neighbors
We're a nonprofit news organization, and we put our service to you above all else. That will never change. But public-service journalism requires community support from readers like you. Will you join your friends and neighbors to support our work and mission?