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?
Between December 2015 and June 2016, Joyful Heart submitted four records request letters to the Fresno Police Department (FPD). FPD has not fully responded to any of our records requests. According to the California Department of Justice, grant funding from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office was partially used to process 561 previously untested rape kits from FPD.
More Accountability Targets in California
Bakersfield, CAConcord, CACorona, CAFremont, CAFullerton, CAGarden Grove, CAGlendale, CAHayward, CALong Beach, CAOrange, CAOxnard, CAPasadena, CAPomona, CARedding, CASacramento, CASalinas, CASan Bernardino, CASan Diego, CASan Jose, CASanta Barbara, CASanta Cruz, CASanta Monica, CASanta Rosa, CAShasta County, CASimi Valley, CAStockton, CATorrance, CAVallejo, CAVisalia, CA
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.