2015 FOIA Request
Why did we send the FOIA?
In 2015, Joyful Heart issued public records requests to 22 medium sized jurisdictions for which we did not have any or had very little information about their untested rape kits.
What did we discover?
In December 2015, we submitted records requests to the Buffalo Police Department (BPD) and the crime lab. In January 2016, the Department of Central Police Services Laboratory indicated that it does not “routinely or specifically maintain records” responsive to this request, but that the laboratory processes all kits received. In October 2016, our second FOIA request to the lab was denied. In January 2017, the BPD indicated that it “cannot provide an inventory” in response to our request.
More Accountability Targets in New York
Why Accountability?
Right now, we do not know the full extent of the national rape kit backlog because few states require law enforcement agencies to count, track, or test rape kits. The Accountability Project aims to bring greater transparency and accountability to rape kit testing practices across the country.