A Community Partnership Award from Attorney General Andrew Bailey was presented to the Chillicothe Police Department for successful cooperation with the Phase III of the SAFE Kit Initiative Project for the year of 2023. Chief Jon Maples says the officers and administrative staff take this project seriously and are committed to successful prosecution and evidence storage for our crime victims. Maples says partnering with patrol officers and detectives, our newly formed evidence team has tackled this project and has done a good job.
The primary goal of the SAFE Kit Initiative is to inventory, test, and track the state’s high number of untested sexual assault kits with the ultimate goal of clearing the state’s backlog and obtaining justice for victims.
The program has received more than 400 CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) hits, leading to 3 felony convictions in Missouri and more than 10 additional cases pending within the court system.