Texas Sen. John Cornyn announced this week that the federal government is supplying a $2.1 million grant to help manage a backlog of sexual assault cases in Fort Worth.
The funding from the federal government is expected to be split between three groups: the City of Fort Worth receiving $689,620, Tarrant County receiving $516,863, and the Fort Worth UNT Health Science Center receiving $981,387, according to NBC DFW.
Cornyn applauded the grant and the use of DNA analysis in a press release about the funding, noting that the entities will now be able to move through the backlog and “identify perpetrators, exonerate innocent suspects, and solve cases.”
“I am proud of the work we’ve done to reduce the backlog of DNA tests over the years, but I will not rest until every victim and family in Texas has the answers they’re looking for and the justice they deserve,” he added, per NBC DFW.
This funding will be incredibly beneficial in helping the Fort Worth Police Department move forward with the 708 overdue cases reported by the department on Nov. 5, which is an improvement from the 969 overdue cases reported on Oct. 22, according to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes released a statement on Thursday in which he thanked Cornyn for his “shared commitment of doing whatever it takes to support crime victims and hold offenders accountable.”
“This aligns with our department’s focus of facing this head-on and getting things done right. This $2 million grant aimed at reducing the backlog of DNA testing will undoubtedly expedite the process, strengthen our collaboration with forensic labs, and improve overall community safety,” Noakes said, per NBC DFW.
Cornyn also disclosed that The Texas Department of Public Safety will receive a grant worth $3.2 million to help with a separate backlog from within that agency, as reported by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.