DENVER (CBS4) – Sen. Michael Bennet on Monday said more money is needed to get rid of the backlog of untested evidence from sexual assault cases.

“All too often in cities across this country, rape kits never make it to crime labs at all, and instead sit untested in police lockers, each holding the potential to solve a crime, imprison a rapist, and provide a victim the justice they deserve,” Bennet said.

On Monday the Colorado Democrat toured Denver’s new crime lab with Mayor Michael Hancock. He says Denver showed how effective rape kit testing can be. Thanks to a federal grant in 2004, investigators were able to test 5,000 untested kits that led to more than 80 prosecutions.

Bennet is co-sponsoring a bill creating more grants to help local police get rid of their backlogs. It has yet to be scheduled for a hearing in Washington.