Michigan State professor reviewing rape kit policies

EAST LANSING (AP) -- A psychology professor is helping police and prosecutors in Detroit determine why more than 10,000 sexual assault kits went untested. Michigan State University says Rebecca Campbell also will help develop practices to prevent future problems. Campbell is a veteran sexual assault researcher and independent evaluator for the three-year project funded by the U.S. Justice Department. She started work on the project in April and will review policies and procedures related to the 10,559 untested sexual assault kits. The kits also are known as rape kits and date back to the 1980s. They were found in a Detroit police property storage facility in August 2009. Michigan State Police took over the Detroit crime lab in September 2008 after it was determined that firearms cases had been improperly handled. Published: Thu, Jul 14, 2011