Baltimore police will be required to improve oversight of sexual assault investigations and give detectives regular training under the consent decree between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice.
The agreement released Thursday says the requirements are meant to increase victims’ trust in police, combat gender bias by police, and ensure that detectives thoroughly investigate complaints of sexual assault.
The federal investigation that led to the consent decree found the city police department “seriously and systematically under-investigates reports of sexual assault.” It said police made little effort to corroborate victims’ accounts.
Under the consent decree, before an officer labels an assault report as “unfounded,” a supervisor will have to determine whether the complaint was properly investigated.
The department must develop a system that automatically alerts supervisors to review open sexual assault investigations. The alerts will be triggered within 48 hours of a report being taken, as well as when a victim has not been interviewed within a week, and when a case has been open, without any investigative activity, for more than six months.
Police will be required to take victims for a forensic medical exam if the victim wants one, and to allow an advocate to accompany the victim during an interview unless it compromises the investigation.
The department also will have to regularly train detectives in the sex offense, family crimes and child-abuse units about responding to sexual assault.
Detectives will receive guidance on minimizing further trauma to victims, working with vulnerable populations such as homeless people and sex workers, and how to “postpone judgment regarding the validity of a case until a thorough investigation is completed.”
In addition, police will have to track and share data with an eye toward better identifying serial offenders.
The agreement allows the city’s Sexual Assault Response Team — made up of police, advocates and prosecutors — to continue to review cases.
More Top Picks Hp Color Laserjet Pro M255dw
twitter.com/aliknez