Dallas County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Task Force

The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, and prosecutor’s offices to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions’ approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) - i.e. those SAKs that have never been submitted to a crime laboratory.

The goal of the SAKI is the creation of a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to these cases whenever possible through a victim-centered approach, as well as to build jurisdictions’ capacity to prevent the development of conditions that lead to high numbers of unsubmitted SAKs in the future. The holistic program provides jurisdictions with resources to address their unsubmitted SAK issue, including support to inventory, test, and track SAKs; create and report performance metrics; access necessary training to increase effectiveness in addressing the complex issues associated with these cases and engage in multidisciplinary policy development, implementation, and coordination; and improve practices related to investigation, prosecution, and victim engagement and support in connection with evidence and cases resulting from the testing process.

Dallas County will use this 2015 SAKI award to address their goals of victim safety and offender accountability. The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Task Force, a subset of the of the Dallas County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), was designed to ensure the collaboration between multiple service providers with the goal of establishing an effective system to address the over 4,000 untested rape kits collected by the Dallas Police Department. The FY 2015 SAKI award will be used to enhance service options at the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Dallas Police Department, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, Parkland VIP/Rape Crisis Center, Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center, and Bode Cellmark Forensics. Funds will be used for personnel costs associated with prosecution and victim advocacy, expert witnesses, travel expenses, and office equipment and supplies.

CA/NCF

The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors offices to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) - i.e. those SAKs that have never been submitted to a crime laboratory. The goal of the SAKI is the creation of a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to these cases whenever possible through a victim-centered approach, as well as to build jurisdictions capacity to prevent the development of conditions that lead to high numbers of unsubmitted SAKs in the future. The holistic program provides jurisdictions with resources to address their unsubmitted SAK issue, including support to inventory, test, and track SAKs; create and report performance metrics; access necessary training to increase effectiveness in addressing the complex issues associated with these cases and engage in multidisciplinary policy development, implementation, and coordination; and improve practices related to investigation, prosecution, and victim engagement and support in connection with evidence and cases resulting from the testing process. Dallas County will use this 2015 SAKI award to address their goals of victim safety and offender accountability. The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Task Force, a subset of the of the Dallas County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), was designed to ensure the collaboration between multiple service providers with the goal of establishing an effective system to address the over 4,000 untested rape kits collected by the Dallas Police Department. The FY 2015 SAKI award will be used to enhance service options at the Dallas County Criminal District Attorneys Office, Dallas Police Department, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, Parkland VIP/Rape Crisis Center, Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center, and Bode Cellmark Forensics. Funds will be used for personnel costs associated with prosecution and victim advocacy, expert witnesses, travel expenses, and office equipment and supplies. CA/NCF