Nevada’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) was developed to address the growing backlog of sexual assault kits and to establish policies for the collection, testing and tracking of evidence, victim notification and to improve the process of sexual assault investigations. To date, more than 7,000 sexual assault kits have been tested and more than 3,500 cold cases have been reviewed.
The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) is a working group comprised of the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Forensic Laboratory and Sex Crimes Section, Victim Advocates, the University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Legislators, Henderson Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Forensic Medical Specialists, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office and the Rape Crisis Center.
Through the working group’s collaboration, funding was secured through various grants to address the backlog of untested kits. Funds help provide the resources needed for victim notification and support, investigation and prosecution, the development of victim-centered investigative methods, DNA analysis and the reform of sexual assault kit testing policies.