The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) is a nationwide undertaking funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) that began in 2015. This initiative helps state, county, and local jurisdictions across the country inventory and test sexual assault forensic evidence (SAFE) kits, upload eligible offender DNA profiles into a national database, investigate and prosecute cases in which offender DNA profiles match, or “hit,” against existing records in the database, and develop procedural and SAFE kit tracking capacity to prevent future backlogs. Nationwide, since 2015 to December, 2025, the SAKI program has inventoried 205,000 SAFE kits, sent 105,000 for testing, with 20,000 hits in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Missouri’s SAFE Kit Initiative within the Missouri Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is one of approximately 1,000 grantees representing 45 states and the District of Columbia, funded by the federal SAKI grant. The term SAKI refers to the federal grant program, and the term SAFE Kit Initiative refers to the Missouri AGO’s statewide program to eliminate the backlog of sexual assault kits.
SAKI Grants
Since April 2018, the AGO has applied for and received three separate SAKI grants from BJA. Major elements of the three AGO’s SAKI grants include the following:
Creation of a Multi-Disciplinary Working Group
The processing of a SAFE kit, the investigation, and prosecution of the related sexual assault involves a multitude of stakeholders and practitioners. To ensure a holistic approach to Missouri’s SAFE Kit Initiative, the AGO has formed a multidisciplinary working group (MDWG) comprising law enforcement, forensic laboratory staff, prosecutors, healthcare providers, and victim advocates. The MDWG first met in October 2018 and continues to provide invaluable guidance and perspective to the AGO as the initiative progresses.
Missouri Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Team
The team works closely with all entities of the sexual assault process, which includes medical providers, law enforcement agencies, crime labs, prosecutors, advocates, the Division of Health and Senior Services, and the Department of Public Safety.
Completion of Statewide Inventory of SAFE Kits
The backlog of sexual assault kits was completed in December 2022. Missouri’s Sexual Assault Kit Tracking system, SAFETrack, came online in July 2021, and is now the sexual assault kit inventory system for Missouri.
Upload of Case Information to ViCAP
A requirement of the SAKI Grants requires grant recipients to enter eligible cases into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) database. ViCAP is a national repository for comprehensive case information for violent crimes such as homicides, sexual assaults, missing persons, and unidentified human remains. ViCAP aids law enforcement in connecting cases across jurisdictional boundaries through offender behavior or modus operandi (MO) and related case details rather than DNA. After the criteria cases are entered into ViCAP by the SAKI Team, the original agency of jurisdiction will be contacted if the entry generates any leads.
Assistance of Investigations and Prosecutions of CODIS Hits
The inventory and testing of the backlogged sexual assault kits was the first step in the process. The next step is to provide investigatory and prosecutorial assistance to local jurisdictions as requested to ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Development of a Statewide Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System
To prevent a backlog of SAFE kits from developing in the future, the AGO has developed an online tracking system that will track SAFE kits from production to final disposition. The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Tracking system (SAFETrack) came online in late July 2021. Any organization that handles sexual assault kits uses the system per RSMo. 595.220.10. The system allows sexual assault survivors, law enforcement agencies, and crime labs to know where a sexual assault kit is located and the status of the kit.
Agency Resources
Add Registered User – If you are an agency that needs to add a user to your list, an administrator for your organization can add personnel. Click here for a SAFETrack User Form. Fill the form out and email to the address listed. You will receive an email indicating the person has been added.
Central Repository Instructions – In 2020, the Missouri Legislature established a Central Repository where unreported, untested sexual assault kits can be sent to be stored in a temperature-controlled environment. Before sending a kit to the Central Repository, please review the instructions by clicking here.
Classes and Certification
Online Classes
In order to facilitate training and reduce errors in the system, the Attorney General’s Office has partnered with the Missouri Department of Public Safety and the University of Missouri’s Continuing Education for Health Professions. Commissioned law enforcement officers receive two (2) hours of POST credit, nurses now receive two (2) Nursing Contact Hours, and victim advocates receive a Certificate of Completion for attending in-person SAFETrack Classes. An online class has also been developed for nurses and victim advocates. They will still receive the contact hours and certificate. To take the class, click here.
(IMPORTANT NOTE: if you are completing an online class, you MUST fill out the survey at the end of the class to receive your credit/hours and certificate.)
In-Person Classes
