Committee agrees on standardizing rape kit

A committee has reached a consensus on a standardized rape kit that officials hope to eventually begin using statewide, replacing three different kits that are now in use.

People who are sexually assaulted can choose to have a forensic exam done to receive medical care and preserve potential DNA evidence. Evidence that’s obtained is collected in a sexual assault evidence kit, commonly known as a rape kit.

Tulsa and Oklahoma City police departments each use their own kits and other state law enforcement agencies use a third kit issued by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Developing a standardized kit for use statewide was a goal of the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Task Force, a group Gov. Mary Fallin created last year to determine the number of untested rape kits in Oklahoma and make recommendations.

A subcommittee that included sexual assault nurse examiners, law enforcement officials and representatives from the three forensic labs in the state met this fall to discuss

development of the standardized kit.

The three kits Oklahoma uses are all similar, officials said. One difference is that Oklahoma City police use a wash component and other agencies don’t.

“We’ve had success using that technique to gather evidence,” said Deputy Chief Tom Jester, who is assigned to Oklahoma City’s Investigations Bureau. “We think we get something extra out of it.”

Tulsa and the OSBI have used a wash in the past but didn’t see results that were any different, officials have said. Andrea Fielding, division director of criminalistics for the OSBI, said their agency didn’t obtain more evidence from the aspirate than they got from swabs.

The new kit being developed for use in Oklahoma will be similar to the kits currently in use, said Kathy Bell, forensic nursing administrator for the

Tulsa Police Department. She served as chairwoman of the subcommittee. Oklahoma City police will still have the option to use the wash.

Fielding said the OSBI will develop a bid packet to send to vendors, and they hope to send the bid specs out within the next month.

Although some officials have said legislation is not necessary to start using a different kit, Attorney General Mike Hunter, whose office assumed authority over the task force last month, said he would like to have legislation on the matter. Task force members discussed the topic with lawmakers during a meeting earlier this month.

Using one kit would offer a number of potential benefits, including the option to develop statewide training protocols for sexual assault nurse examiners who perform the exams and for the processing of sexual assault kits, according to a report from the task force. It could result in reduced costs for forensic labs by combining separate kit purchases into one.

It also will help with another goal of the task force, which is to implement an electronic tracking system for rape kits collected in Oklahoma so victims, law enforcement, medical staff and district attorneys can monitor the status of a kit. The system, which would be implemented by the OSBI, would help provide transparency and accountability, officials have said.

Fielding said the OSBI shifted money internally to fund a sexual assault tracking system director position, and the agency planned to conduct interviews for the position Nov. 16. They plan to use a program that was developed by Idaho, so they have to transition the program for use in Oklahoma, Fielding said.

“We’ve done a lot of that groundwork already, and this new person will finish all of that up,” she said. “Once we get the standardized kit, then they will go out and start training the law enforcement agencies and the medical community on how to use this and then we’re ready to roll it out and get it started.”

We’ve done a lot of that groundwork already, and this new person will finish all of that up. Once we get the standardized kit, then they will go out and start training the law enforcement agencies and the medical community on how to use this and then we’re ready to roll it out and get it started.” Andrea Fielding

Division director of criminalistics for the OSBI