Nevada state sexual assault kit initiative project

The Nevada State Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Project was awarded $1,953,399.56 through a cooperative agreement by the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance, with a completion date of September 30, 2021. The funding supports work under the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative program (CFDA #16.833), which aims to help law enforcement and prosecutors address challenges associated with unsubmitted sexual assault kits and unresolved violent crime cold cases.

Key services delivered through the award and associated subawards include testing of sexual assault kits, coordination of technical reviews and uploading results to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), investigations of sexual assault cases by police departments in North Las Vegas, Reno and Clark County, and victim services provided by Crisis Call Center. Subawards were also provided to the Washoe and Clark County District Attorneys' Offices and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office to support their work addressing the backlog of untested sexual assault kits. The funding and involvement of multiple law enforcement and victim services agencies across Nevada aims to reduce the number of unsubmitted sexual assault kits and unresolved cases.