News Roundup

The Herald Sun reported this week that Durham and several other cities across the state are moving previously untested rape kits into the evidence analysis process in an effort to clear North Carolina’s significant backlog of untested kits.  Asheville has submitted the most kits for testing, followed closely by Durham and Winston-Salem.  The article says that Attorney General Josh Stein has asked for additional funds for the State Crime Lab to provide more capacity for testing.  Last year, a statewide inventory found that North Carolina had the largest backlog of untested kits in the nation. We’ll return to blogging on Tuesday following the Memorial Day holiday.  Keep reading for more news.  Correctional Officer Retention.  WNCN reports that the North Carolina Department of Public Safety is grappling with a high vacancy rate in correctional officer positions and that officers leave their jobs at about the same rate as new officers are hired.  The article says that the vacancy rate is about 20% and that in 2018 DPS hired 1,812 correctional officers while 1,742 left the department.  DPS has launched a recruiting campaign and is looking into increasing pay for some employees and providing sign-on bonuses. Riley Howell Foundation.  WLOS reports that a new foundation named for UNC Charlotte student Riley Howell has been established and intends to support organizations that help families affected by gun violence.  Howell was killed earlier this month in a shooting on UNCC campus where he tackled the shooter. Longest Serving Inmate.  The News & Observer has a [...]