1,211 sexual assault hits reported in the CODIS DNA database, 18 percent increase from 2021

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Attorney General Josh Stein has announced a new record of 1,211 hits in the CODIS DNA database, nearly an 18 percent increase from the previous fiscal year.

According to Stein, thanks to increased testing, law enforcement has more ability than ever to move forward on cases.

In addition to announcing this milestone, Stein has launched a statewide sexual assault kit tracking dashboard at www.ncdoj.gov/testthekits. The online dashboard provides up-to-date information about North Carolina’s progress in ending the backlog of older untested sexual assault kits in local law enforcement custody.

North Carolinians can view municipal, county, and statewide data about the number of kits submitted for testing and the number of DNA hits and arrests that result from these kits being tested. 

“Our commitment to survivors of sexual assault is clear: we will never stop fighting for you,” Attorney General Josh Stein said. “That is why we are getting these kits tested – to breathe new life into cold cases. Our new website will provide everyone, including survivors, greater transparency about this work. But there is always more to be done to fight on behalf of survivors. To collect on the promise of DNA, we need to provide law enforcement the resources it needs to make arrests.”

In recent years, law enforcement has made at least 66 arrests from CODIS hits related to at least 91 assaults, including kidnapping, robbery, and attempted murder. Stein says the legislature has been an important partner in this work; funding in the state budget will help continue to test older kits and provide for additional State Crime Lab scientists to test new kits in a timely manner and prevent another backlog.