The time it takes to test sexual assault kits in Tennessee has been cut nearly in half from last year, according to new data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
A new report shows results from state crime labs are now returned in 22.7 weeks on average. That’s down from an average of 45.4 weeks from August 2022.
The fresh data comes from new quarterly reports now required by legislation originally proposed by state Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis). The law sought to reduce testing times in the wake of the abduction and kidnapping of Eliza Fletcher. Her alleged assailant was matched to a DNA test from a sexual assault a year prior to the Fletcher case, but the DNA had not been tested in time to make an arrest.
“We filed this legislation because victims of sexual assault deserve transparency and accountability from the state and an 11-month wait time for DNA test results is an unacceptable threat to public safety,” Lamar said. “A six-month turn around time is still not where we need to be, but the TBI is making clear progress.
The report said 476 sexual assault kits are no waiting to be tested. That’s down from a 12-month high of 1,005.
The TBI is hiring 39 new employees to be able to process more kits. Nearly half of those have completed training and half have begun training.
The TBI is also outsourcing some testing to a Florida company with $1.9 million in federal grants funding.
