Governor Doug Ducey announced this week the members of the Arizona Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit Task Force, a bipartisan coalition of victims advocates, law enforcement officials and policy makers tasked with addressing the injustice of untested rape kits throughout Arizona.
Throughout the country – including Arizona – crime labs struggle to keep up with timely testing of the kits, resulting in a backlog of 2,300 untested kits in Maricopa County alone.
Ducey charged the task force with multiple responsibilities, which include: providing legislative recommendations to ensure every kit is tested in a timely manner; developing a statewide standard process for testing protocols of the kits; developing a statewide tracking system for the kits; and development of a public education plan to assist sexual assault victims.
Ducey’s task force includes a few strong independent voices, and many of his minions and political associates:
- Mark Brnovich, Arizona Attorney General
- Representative Kate Brophy McGee, Arizona House of Representatives
- Colleen Clase, Arizona Voice for Crime Victims
- Christina Corieri, Office of Governor Doug Ducey
- Sherriff Mark J. Dannels, Cochise County Sheriff
- Jesse Delmar, Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety
- Senator Katie Hobbs, Arizona State Senate
- Jessye Johnson, Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
- Todd Larson, Honor Health
- Barbara LaWall, Pima County Attorney
- Senator Debbie Lesko, Arizona State Senate
- Representative Phil Lovas, Arizona House of Representatives
- Myriah Mhoon, Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family
- Colonel Frank Milstead, Department of Public Safety
- Bill Montgomery, Maricopa County Attorney
- Sheila Polk, Yavapai County Attorney
- Mary Roberts, Phoenix Police Department
- Pete Wingert, Paradise Valley Police Department
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