Report: Duluth has Highest Number of Untested Rape Kits in State

The Duluth Police Department has the highest number of untested rape kits in the state. 

New reports from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension released Thursday revealed that Duluth Police have 578 untested rape kits.  The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office is second in the state, with 495 untested kits.  The St. Cloud Police Department is third with 306. 

The top reasons for departments having untested kits were victims being uncooperative, a category listed as “other” and prosecution being declined. 

During the 2015 Legislative session,  lawmakers directed the Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to provide a complete inventory of untested rape kits in the hands of all publicly funded forensic labs, county sheriff offices, and police departments in Minnesota. 

More than 400 agencies responded.  Around 240 agencies reported that they did not have any untested rape kids, and around 170 agencies said they were in possession of 3,482 untested rape kits. 

So far this year, the BCA lab has seen a spike in rape kit submissions.    The 2015 submissions are up 39 percent over this time last year.    

Authorities say the turn-around time for current rape kit testing will likely exceed 60 days by the end of 2015.