Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault Crimes

Investigating and responding to sexual assault crimes is a priority for law enforcement and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has tools to help agencies as they continue to evaluate and examine their responses to sexual assault crimes. These tools are designed to help law enforcement agencies enhance their support of survivors of sexual assault crimes and agencies’ ability to hold offenders accountable. One aspect of supporting survivors is ensuring that the law enforcement agency they report to has accessible trauma-informed and victim-centered options so they can safely report sexual assault crimes. An agency which has implemented the principles of a trauma-informed response recognizes the impact of trauma on victim behavior and carries out policies accordingly, such as waiting at least one sleep cycle to interview a victim. 

For a list of these tools, visit https://tinyurl.com/yyf9klat