Government
BY MARK FADDEN
Fort Worth PD works on sexual assault kit backlog
Tarrant County extends jail mental health services The Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted Oct. 15 to renew a contract with My Health My Resources of Tarrant County to provide behavioral health and intellectual disability services to inmates in jail. The big picture Tarrant County commissioners voted 4-0 on the contract extension. County documents state MHMR services performed in the Tarrant County jail system include addiction services, court liaison/ aftercare services, employment services and day rehabilitation programs among others. The term of this contract, which is bud- geted at $1.6 million, is from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2025.
During the Nov. 5 Fort Worth City Council work session, Police Chief Neil Noakes said as of Nov. 4, the number of unprocessed sexual assault cases in the system is 708. At his prior update on Oct. 22, Noakes reported a backlog of 969 unprocessed kits. What’s new New activity with regard to the clearing the backlog includes: • Assistance from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office • 30 detectives making phone calls to each victim with backlogged sexual assault kits/cases • The Office of the Police Oversight Monitor has been included to oversee the lab’s progress • Job openings for forensic scientists were posted on social media What’s next To ensure transparency and accountability, the
Unprocessed sexual assault kits
October 2024
969
November 2024
708
SOURCE: CITY OF FORT WORTH/COMMUNITY IMPACT
news release states FWPD officials will take several more proactive steps, including: • Reporting progress to the City Manager’s Office and Fort Worth City Council • Engaging in weekly meetings with the City’s Legal Department and OPOM • Working with the Fort Worth crime lab and third party to complete audit on the lab • Completing phone calls to victims and look for contract employees to enter DNA samples
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