NEWS CENTER FIVE. SARAH. THANK YOU. THIS IS NEW ON FIVE TONIGHT. A CALL FOR ANSWERS AFTER FIVE INVESTIGATES EXPOSED ISSUES IN BOSTON’S CRIME LAB. OUR KAREN ANDERSON FIRST REPORTED THAT THE LAB FAILED TO MEET STATE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO TESTING KEY EVIDENCE, AND NOW THIS IS GETTING NEW ATTENTION. KAREN. THAT’S RIGHT. ED STATE LAW REQUIRES ALL RAPE KITS IN MASSACHUSETTS BE TESTED WITHIN 30 DAYS. BUT AS WE FIRST REPORTED, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN IN HALF OF THE KITS SUBMITTED TO THE BOSTON POLICE CRIME LAB. AND NOW A CITY COUNCILOR IS CALLING FOR A HEARING TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT’S A PROBLEM. AND FIND OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX IT. IT NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY. BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR ED FLYNN CALLING FOR A HEARING AFTER LEARNING THE BOSTON POLICE CRIME LAB FAILED TO MEET THE 30 DAY TESTING DEADLINE FOR HALF OF ALL RAPE KITS IT RECEIVED IN THE MOST RECENT FISCAL YEAR. WHEN YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION? I WAS DISAPPOINTED. I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS. AS WE FIRST REPORTED, THE LAB MISSED THE DEADLINE ON 93 OF THE 186 RAPE KITS SUBMITTED. THAT’S IN CONTRAST TO THE STATE POLICE CRIME LAB, WHICH TESTED ALMOST ALL OF ITS KITS WITHIN 30 DAYS. BOSTON POLICE CITED A STAFFING SHORTAGE. FLYNN WANTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS INSIDE THE LAB. LET’S ENSURE THAT THIS IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US AS CITY COUNCILORS AND A CITY AND PROVIDE THE RESPECT FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, VICTIMS OF CRIME AND COMPLY WITH THE LAW AS WELL. NOW, FLYNN ALSO WANTS TO LEARN ABOUT ANY EQUIPMENT UPGRADES OR NEW METHODS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE CRIME LAB TO PERFORM THEIR WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY. WE REACHED OUT TO BOSTON POLICE FOR A COMMENT. STILL HAVE NOT HEARD BACK.