The chief of police in Fort Worth, Texas vowed Tuesday that all options were on the table as his department works to clear a backlog of rape kits, brought to…
Chief Neil Noakes told the council on Tuesday that he and an assistant chief would personally manage the city’s crime lab until the evidence backlog was resolvedFort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes issued a forceful apology to sex assault victims Tuesday as he took responsibility for the department’s failure to meet state deadlines for processing hundreds of sexual assault evidence kits.
“This is completely unacceptable where we are,” Noakes told the Fort Worth City Council, adding that sexual assault survivors have a right to be angry with his department."They are pissed off and they should be. I am pissed off. If this was my wife, my mother, my daughter, I would be,” Noakes said.revealed state records showing Fort Worth police had about 900 rape kits already past a 90-day state deadline and still awaiting full completion of the testing and analysis process.Our reporting found that more than 750 times over the last five years, state records show the department also failed to submit kits for processing within the state-required 30-day submission deadline.Fort Worth Chief of Police Neil Noakes vows to solve the problem of untested rape kits, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. One woman who reported an assault, Latrice Godfrey, told NBC 5 how she waited 11 months before her kit was tested. NBC 5 Investigates's report about Godfrey’s case sparked anger and frustration among the city's top elected officials. “I am almost shaking. I am just very unhappy with this information,” Fort Worth Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens said, addressing the council Tuesday. “I want to make no mistake that we have failed victims in our city. We have failed not just victims, but we have failed their loved ones”, said City Councilmember Elizabeth Beck. Noakes told the council he and an assistant chief will personally manage the city’s crime lab until the evidence backlog is resolved. Noakes said every option is on the table, including using more private contractors and hiring bonuses to fill five vacant lab positions, which police said have caused the delays. He said the department is also paying $4,000 incentives to current lab employees who are able to assist in analyzing test results and uploading them into the DNA database used to match evidence to known offenders. "I take full responsibility for the situation we are in right now, and I take full responsibility for getting this right,” said Noakes. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker responded, telling the chief that if Fort Worth is going to have its own crime lab, it must be “best-in-class.” “This crime lab has been a problem in the city of Fort Worth for 10 years and, I mention that chief because it's not just your problem, it is a management problem,” Parker said. The mayor also paused to acknowledge Godfrey, who was in the audience Tuesday, for speaking out about the delays. “It is unfortunate that it's taken a public outcry and a beautiful victim in Latrice Godfrey who is here today, to say, ‘Help me,’” Parker said.Fort Worth Chief of Police Neil Noakes, left, apologizes to a victim of sexual assault over the delay in testing her rape kit, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. If you are a survivor or know of a survivor in need of professional assistance, there are resources available in the community. Here is a list of organizations that may be able to assist:Offers hospital accompaniment for survivors of sexual assault and other violent crimes, counseling, assistance through the criminal justice process and legal services for sexual assault victims.Food & Drink
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‘Completely unacceptable,' FWPD chief apologizes to rape victims for testing delaysThe chief of police in Fort Worth, Texas vowed Tuesday that all options were on the table as his department works to clear a backlog of rape kits, brought to…
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