MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis City Council members were shocked to learn about a funding shortfall Tuesday when the police department gave its monthly sexual assault kit testing update.
Council members offered to give more money, but the administration told them to hold off, because they’ll need that money for matching grants from the federal government.
Victims told WREG they think the mayor is sacrificing their interests for his so-called plan, and they’re calling it despicable. Officials fear this waiting game for federal money could lead to real problems down the road.
Doug McGowen, with the mayor’s special task force, told WREG “We have already made the first step in that application, which is an expression of interest.”
McGowen was assigned by the mayor to help Memphis police deal with the rape kit testing backlog. Tuesday, he said the city has started the process of applying for federal and state money to pay for the thousands of untested kits.
The Department of Justice and Manhattan DA’s office are offering millions in federal grant money for rape kit testing. But none of it is guaranteed to come to Memphis.
The Wharton Administration is hopeful they’ll get it, which is why they’re purposely leaving money on the table from the city, for now. They may need the city dollars for matching grant dollars down the road.
Council member Harold Collins said, “We were under the impression the full funding had been put in place.”
The City Council gave the police department more than $3 million for rape kit testing so far this year. Tuesday, they learned the police department is still in the red, by about a half million dollars.
Victims tell WREG they think the mayor’s plan to bank on these federal grants is risky and insensitive.
Collins said, “I would hate it if we would lose some of this evidence through statute of limitations time running out waiting on federal dollars when we could fund this right now.”
McGowen says they are prioritizing testing for kits with upcoming limitations dates.
Chief Jim Harvey says the department has enough money to pay for testing through this year. They are defending this waiting game saying the local money will be used eventually, but it will need it to multiply the funds that may come from Manhattan DA.
McGowen said, “We have the very great opportunity here to use the benefits of ill-gotten money for the public good.”
Police tell WREG the testing is the easy part. Once the tests come back, the real work from police and the district attorney begins. They say it will be years before they’re done processing all these viable cases.