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The New Orleans Police Department contends that it has worked to clear its backlog of rape kits, uploading DNA evidence collected from sexual assaults to the FBI?s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database. CODIS links federal, state and local criminal justice agencies and can find matches for DNA profiles to identify offenders.

But reports from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) reveal a culture within NOPD?s own sex crimes unit of reclassifying rapes, ignoring vital DNA collection, or refusing to believe rape even is a crime.*Today, the OIG unveiled a devastating report alleging five detectives failed to follow up more than 60 percent of sexual assault cases assigned to them between January 2011 and December 2013.

In April, NOPD sex crimes detective Merrill Merricks told Gambit that the department?s backlog had been virtually eliminated.? [ Read more ]

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