Herndon Chief Praises Effort To Eliminate Rape Text Kit Backlog

HERNDON, VA — Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard weighed in on social media Thursday morning about Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring's announcement that the state had cleared its six-year rape kit backlog.

"By eliminating Virginia's PERK (rape) kit backlog, and ensuring that all kits were tested and will continue to be tested moving forward, hundreds of new investigative leads were developed and over 800 new DNA profiles were uploaded into CODIS, the national DNA database," DeBoard said, in a post on HPD's official Twitter account. "Equally important was the impact it has had on victims, giving them an opportunity for justice and a chance to heal."

DeBoard has served the last three years as a law enforcement representative on the steering committee charged with eliminating the backlog of Physical Evidence Recovery Kits associated with sexual assaults.

Herring announced Wednesday that 2,665 previously untested rape kits had been tested as part of a $3.4 million project in partnership with local law enforcement and the Department of Forensic Science (DFS). In addition, 851 DNA profiles were uploaded to CODIS, resulting in 354 matches, which have been sent to local jurisdictions for further investigation.

“Virginia’s backlog of untested rape kits has been completely eliminated, and it is never coming back,” Herring said, in a release. “Eliminating this backlog has been a long time coming, and it has taken a lot of work, but it means a wrong has been righted, that justice is closer for more survivors, and that Virginia is a safer place."

In order to pay for the project, Herring and DFS secured two grants, including a $2 million grant from U.S. Department of Justice’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).

As a result of this project, 22 backlogged tests were completed for the Town of Herndon, 10 were entered into CODUS, and four matches where made for further investigation.

In Fairfax County, 379 backlogged tests were completed, 100 were entered into CODUS, and 20 matches where made for further investigation.

(1/3) Chief DeBoard has served for the past 3 years as a law enforcement representative on the State's steering committee to plan and execute the elimination of this backlog.

AG Herring says Virginia’s rape kit backlog has been eliminated https://t.co/tCTWM2AE5i
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) July 9, 2020