(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) rolled out a new system that allows sexual assault victims to track the status of their test kits online.
The agency announced its new system Wednesday called Track-Kit which allows survivors to look up the status of their sexual assault kit online as it makes its way through testing, which can be a "lengthy process," according to the BCA.
The new system will place barcodes on the kit which will be updated its status and location. The medical facility, where the kit is collected, will scan the kit’s barcode into the system. Law enforcement will update the status when it’s sent out for testing, and the labs will update it when they received the kit and when the testing is complete.
"The BCA stands with Minnesota's victim survivors. We hope the Track-Kit system relieves uncertainty and gives comfort with the knowledge of exactly where their kit stands in the testing process," said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans in a press release.
However, only kits collected after Track-Kit went live in each region will be entered into the new system. Previously collected kits will not be included. The Track-Kit was deployed region by region across the state from April 5 to July 5.
The new system will be used for both unrestricted kits, those who agree to have their kits tested, and restricted kits, those who don’t consent to have their kit tested. The BCA said all restricted kits are stored at their lab, and if a person wants to have their kit tested, the status will reflect that change.