The Abq City Council Wednesday night took final action on a resolution from Councilor Dan Lewis to expedite testing the city’s backlog of rape kits. They approved the measure. Lewis says part of it calls for a review of what forensic scientists are paid. He says the goal is to raise the pay enough to keep them in Albuquerque.
The resolution also directs APD to apply for a SAKI Grant to pay for a tracking system for the kits and amends Abq’s legislative priorities to request the state’s public safety crime lab to help process the kits. And it clarifies how UNM and CNM would help train more forensic scientists.
The state has 5,000 untested kits and about three-quarters of them are in Abq. The council delayed discussion on providing more money for APD to hire former officers for non-emergency crimes and to hire more service aids.
