A report released Wednesday by the North Carolina Department of Justice found there were more than 15,000 untested rape kits at the end of 2017.
Last year, the General Assembly enacted a measure requiring law enforcement agencies across the state to report the number of untested kits, called Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECKs), to authorities.
When you compare each law enforcement agency, including city, county and university jurisdictions, the Piedmont stands out.
The Winston-Salem and Greensboro police departments combined account for nearly 2,300 outstanding kits. Each department's reported number of untested SAECKs was among the highest in North Carolina.
The Department of Justice outlines several recommendations for improvement, including establishing a statewide tracking system, and testing all such evidence currently in custody. It also suggests committing to testing every evidence kit moving forward.
It estimates the cost of testing the outstanding SAECKs at the State Crime Lab at roughly $10.6 million.