The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) failed to follow state law and national best practices in its long-delayed implementation of a new sexual assault kit (SAK) tracking system, according to an Oct. 31 report from the S.C. Legislative Audit Council (LAC).
But in a sharply worded 10-page response, SLED Chief Mark Keel slammed what he called the report’s “countless misrepresentations” and claimed that auditors “disregarded important information in order to paint a seemingly predetermined and flawed narrative of SLED’s performance.”
Among the report’s key findings:
- SLED failed to meet its legally-mandated June 1, 2022, deadline for implementation, finally bringing the system online on Feb. 20, 2024.
- The Sexual Assault Kit Task Force, a stakeholder body created in September 2020 to guide and assist in the implementation of the new tracking system, has met only twice since its formation.
- SLED’s contract to outsource SAK testing violates state law because it does not require the vendor to participate in the tracking process.
- SLED cannot verify the number of untested kits statewide.
- Testing in S.C. remains highly inefficient, with an average completion time of 457 days compared to 90 days or less in most states.
In its conclusion, the report found that “the current system of investigating sexual assault offenses is inefficient. In the absence of mandated processing and storage times, justice is being delayed or denied for victims, many of whom are under the age of 18.”
In contrast, Keel’s point-by-point rebuttal concludes SLED “successfully implemented” the new tracking system, meeting the law’s “stated intent” to “empower survivors with information, assist law enforcement with investigations and crime prevention, and create transparency and foster public trust.”
- To read the complete report, as well as SLED’s full response, visit the LAC website.
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