Credit: NYS
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the opening of a state facility to store sexual offense evidence collection kits that have not been released to law enforcement custody.
Secure storage gives individuals who have been sexually assaulted the ability to get medical care, consent to forensic evidence collection and time to decide if they want to file a police report. The State Office of Victim Services established the facility to comply with the state law that requires unreported kits to be stored for 20 years from the date of collection. Capital Region, Mohawk Valley and Western New York hospitals are the first to notify survivors that their kits will be transferred and how they can track them. Hospitals in the state’s remaining regions will follow that process in the coming months.
“New York State remains committed to supporting survivors of sexual assault in every way possible,” Hochul said. “This new state facility will be a critical tool to help deliver support and justice, while providing a strong foundation for victims to heal and alleviate some of the pressure they may feel when it comes to legal timelines.”
Office of Victim Services Director Elizabeth Cronin joined state agency colleagues, medical professionals, victim advocates, law enforcement and other professionals at Albany Medical Center this morning to discuss the facility’s operations and to educate survivors that hospitals must make a concerted effort to contact them before their kits are transferred. This notification allows individuals to decide whether to transfer their kit to the facility, notify law enforcement about the incident, or consent to having their kit disposed. Hospitals across the state have approximately 10,000 kits in storage.
Located in the Capital Region, the facility is secure, climate controlled and designed to ensure the integrity of potential evidence. It began accepting kits in mid-January 2023 and to date, Albany Medical Center and Glens Falls Hospital, both members of the Albany Med Health System, have transferred 525 items to the facility: 277 sexual offense evidence collection kits, 83 drug-facilitated sexual assault kits and 165 other items such as clothing and bedding. The facility’s current capacity is 17,400 items and will increase to 26,600 items once renovation of a second storage wing is complete.
Prior to sending kits to the facility, hospital staff must be trained on the electronic system for logging and tracking kits and other items, and the victim notification portion of the system. Office of Victim Services staff are currently onboarding hospital staff in the Capital Region, Mohawk Valley and Western New York so they can transfer kits and other items to the facility and notify survivors. Hospital staff in Central New York, Long Island and the North Country are scheduled to receive the training in May. Office of Victim Services will train hospital staff in New York City in August, and they will train hospital staff in the Finger Lakes, Mid-Hudson and Southern Tier in November.
“Albany Medical Center’s emergency department is staffed 24/7 by sexual assault forensic examiners who are specially trained to treat patients who have been sexually assaulted and to collect evidence that can aid in conviction," said Division of Forensic Medicine Program Manager at Albany Medical Center Kaylin Dawson R.N. "Thanks in part to the evidence we’ve collected, patients have options after they receive medical care, including the option to pursue charges through the justice system. We’re grateful to the Office of Victim Services for their efforts to increase the amount of time our patients have to make this very difficult and personal decision and for helping us to deliver this important message to our patients.”
Republished courtesy of NYS