Previously, rape kits connected with sexual assault cases were tested in Michigan State Police laboratories throughout the state and did not have one consolidated location. The decision to implement the new unit stemmed primarily from the discovery of thousands of untested rape kits recently discovered in the Detroit area, as well as an effort to bring sexual assault cases into a more serious light, Collins said.

“There is a changing expectation amongst the public and the criminal justice system that these kits be taken much more seriously than in the past,” Collins said. “It’s all about quality and speed when testing these kits — by specializing, we’re going to be able to optimize them better.”

From Rebecca Campbell’s perspective, the effort to get these cases analyzed more efficiently is a necessary move on the part of the Michigan State Police. Campbell is a psychology professor and a researcher working on testing old kits from the Detroit area dating from 2009 back, some going as far as 20 years into the past.

“We really do need mechanisms to continue to test current kits and deal with the kits already in place,” Campbell said.

Collins said the department hopes the increased focus on analyzing the kits will allow for better use of the kits in each case and for the victims involved.

Paulette Granberry Russell, director of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives and MSU’s Title IX Coordinator, said the potential for increased speed of rape kit testing could benefit victims as they attempt to deal with a traumatic experience.

“The impact of sexual assault or rape on victims is significant,” Granberry Russell said. “To the extent that this expediting of (the) handling of rape kits can help to bring more evidence into the process for consideration moving forward is a good thing.”