Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Untested Rape Kits
Dear Mayor Villaraigosa:
We are writing on behalf of Human Rights Watch's Los Angeles constituency, members of the California Women's Trusteeship, local business and civic leaders, members of the clergy, and other concerned Los Angeles citizens.
We are deeply troubled about the rape kit backlog in the City of Los Angeles, as detailed in Human Rights Watch's recent report "Testing Justice," and ask that you take all possible steps to ensure prompt testing of the more than 5,000 untested rape kits in the City's police storage facilities. The most urgent priority is that the Mayor's 2009-2010 budget include all the resources requested for this purpose by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). We are counting on you to follow through with the commitment you made in your October 2008 press conference to give the LAPD the resources it needs to clear the backlog.
At the April 1, 2009 City Council meeting, LAPD Deputy Chief Charlie Beck testified that the LAPD budget sent to your office included a funding request for 26 new crime lab personnel needed to build the DNA testing capacity necessary to test every rape kit booked into police evidence. It is our understanding that your budget proposal to the City Council will include funding for all 26 new positions, in addition to existing crime lab personnel. This is very good news, and an important step toward making the LAPD crime lab capable of testing all rape kits within a reasonable amount of time.
At the April 1 meeting, Deputy Chief Beck also testified that the LAPD budget sent to your office included a request of $2.1 million for the outsourcing of untested rape kits to private crime laboratories. As you are aware, it will take some time for the LAPD crime lab to hire and train new DNA personnel, so outsourcing a significant portion of the rape kit backlog is essential to the rapid elimination of the problem. We understand that your budget may not fully fund the LAPD's outsourcing request, and we urge you to reconsider your position. If you do not budget at least $2.1 million for outsourcing, it will be difficult-if not impossible-for the LAPD to meet its stated goal of eliminating the rape kit backlog within 18 to 24 months. In financially
challenging times, it is understandable that your office would look for other funding sources for rape kit testing. But it is not clear that the two main federal grant programs your office is relying on-the Byrne and JAG grant programs--allow money to be used for private DNA testing.
The only way to ensure that the rape kit backlog is cleared in a timely fashion is for the Mayor to request, and the Council to approve, full funding for the LAPD's outsourcing request. Every budget process is a matter of balancing priorities. We know that this budget process is even more complex, as the City tries to navigate these difficult financial times. But there are some core government responsibilities that are non-negotiable, no matter the cost; we believe that bringing justice to victims by testing backlogged rape kits is such a responsibility.
We are committed to seeing the rape kit backlog eliminated, and will continue to be involved in advocacy efforts to ensure that you provide the necessary leadership and financial support to test every rape kit in the backlog and every future booked rape kit.
Sincerely,
Human Rights Watch
Kimberly Marteau Emerson, Los Angeles
Vice Chair, Human Rights Watch California Committee South
Former Director, Office of Public Liason, U.S. Information Agency
Jonathan Marc Feldman, Santa Monica
Vice Chair, Human Rights Watch California Committee South
Writer
Shari Leinwand, Los Angeles
Co-Chair, Human Rights Watch California Committee South
Barry Meyer, Los Angeles
Member, Human Rights Watch International Board
Member, Human Rights Watch California Committee South
Jane T. Olson, Pasadena
Chair, Human Rights Watch International Board
Co-Founder, Human Rights Watch California Committee South
Victoria Riskin, Montecito
Member, Human Rights Watch International Board
Co-Chair, Human Rights Watch California Committee South
Writer, Producer
Sid Sheinberg, Beverly Hills
Vice Chair, Human Rights Watch International Board
Co-Chair, Human Rights Watch California Committee South
Partner, The Bubble Factory and Former President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal/MCA
William D. Temko, Los Angeles
Co-Chair, Human Rights Watch California Committee South
Attorney, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Joan Abrahamson, Los Angeles
President, Jefferson Institute
Reverend Ed Bacon, Pasadena
Rector, All Saints Church Pasadena
Susi Bahat, Brentwood
Susi Bahat Design
Phoebe Beasley, Los Angeles
Artist
Rabbi Leonard I. Beerman, Los Angeles
Founding Rabbi of Leo Baeck Temple
Sarah Bowman, Los Angeles
Kids off the Couch.com
Pam Bruns, Pacific Palisades
Kristin Johnson Ceva, Pasadena
Managing Principal, Payden & Rygel
Tamar Chafets, Los Angeles
Vice President, Distribution and Servicing, Revolutionary Releasing
Kathy Checchi, Los Angeles
Partner, Checchi Capital Advisors, LLC
Nancy Cushing-Jones, Studio City
Partner, Broadthink
Rosario Dawson, Encino
Actress, VDay Board Member
Kathryn M. Downing, Santa Barbara
Founder, Executive to Executive, Inc.
Ellen Carol DuBois, Los Angeles
Professor of History, University of California, Los Angeles
Mike Farrell, Los Angeles
Actor, Producer
Patricia Flumenbaum, Los Angeles
William Flumenbaum, Los Angeles
Wendy Garen, Los Angeles
President and CEO, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Mary W. Garvey, Pacific Palisades
Community Volunteer
Frank Gehry, Santa Monica
Architect
Patti Giggans, Los Angeles
Executive Director, Peace Over Violence
G. Wayne Glass, Pacific Palisades
Professor, University of Southern California
Christina M. Gray, Los Angeles
PhD Candidate, University of Southern California
Lindsey Horvath, West Hollywood
President, Hollywood Chapter, National Organization for Women
Nancy Jacoby, Beverly Hills
Nancy Jacoby Productions
Barry Kemp, Los Angeles
Margaret Kemp, Los Angeles
Ann Reiss Lane, Los Angeles
Community Activist
Lorraine L. Loder, Glendale
Attorney
Wendy Smith Meyer, PhD, LCSW, Los Angeles
Director of Instructional Enhancement and Adjunct Professor, University of Southern California School of Social Work
Miriam Muscarolas, Los Angeles
Senior Managing Director, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, LP
Bradley S. Phillips, Los Angeles
Attorney, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Deborah S. Ramo, Santa Monica
President, Mondiale Corporation
David W. Rintels, Montecito
Writer, Producer
Susan Rose, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, ret.
Carol Scott, Sherman Oaks
Attorney at Law
Robert W. Shaffer, Jr., Esq., Los Angeles
Shaffer, Gold & Rubaum, LLP
Lorraine Sheinberg, Beverly Hills
Board Member, Feminist Majority
Barbara Silberbusch, Los Angeles
Attorney, Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown, Inc.
Arthur F. Silbergeld, Esq., Los Angeles
Carol A. Silbergeld, L.C.S.W, Los Angeles
Katherine Spillar, Beverly Hills
Feminist Majority
Robin Swicord, Santa Monica
Filmmaker
Cynthia Totten, JD, Los Angeles
Patricia Williams, Pacific Palisades
Photographer
Jan Woods, Santa Monica
Peg Yorkin, Beverly Hills
Feminist Majority
CC:
Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton
Charlie Beck, Chief of Detectives, LAPD
Celine Cordero, Homeland Security & Public Safety, Office of the Mayor
Steven Olivas, Homeland Security & Public Safety, Office of the Mayor
Council President Eric Garcetti, 13th District
Councilmember Ed P. Reyes, 1st District
Councilmember Wendy Greuel, 2nd District
Councilmember Dennis P. Zine, 3rd District
Councilmember Tom LaBonge, 4th District
Councilmember Jack Weiss, 5th District
Councilmember Tony Cardenas, 6th District
Councilmember Richard Alarcon, 7th District
Councilmember Bernard C. Parks, 8th District
Councilmember Jan Perry, 9th District
Councilmember Herb J. Wesson, Jr., 10th District
Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, 11th District
Councilmember Greig Smith, 12th District
Councilmember Jose Huizar, 14th District
Councilmember Janice Hahn, 15th District
