FAYETTEVILLE -- An audit into Fayetteville Police Department has revealed that more than 300 sexual assault kits were destroyed over a 13 year period.
It showed that between 1995 and 2008 a total of 333 kits were destroyed.
Chief Harold Medlock called for the audit this past June when it was discovered that for some closed out cases the kits had been disposed of while in other cases the kits were retained in the police department's evidence room.
All sexual assault kits collected after December 17, 2008 are currently accounted for, except those retained by the county and those related to another agency.
The department has instituted a tracking system which will help with sending sexual assault kits for testing.
It was also recently awarded the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant, which will assist with DNA testing of previously unsubmitted kits.