600-14 Sexual Assaults Flashcards
(30 cards)
Officers shall at all times treat sexual assault victims with _________; although this shall not prevent officers from _____ and _________.
compassion, consideration, understanding, and patience; collecting evidence, asking necessary questions
Officers shall consult with the Special Victims Division in all sex crime related incidents involving:
Sexual assault of a child and the suspect is still on the scene
Elderly persons
Juveniles
Persons who are mentally disabled or otherwise unable to provide a statement
Serious bodily injury
Cases that could reasonably become high profile or are of media interest
A peace officer, first responder, or City of Houston employee
Cases in which the officer believes a crime scene unit should be requested to process the scene
Immediate follow-up investigation shall be determined by
a Special Victims Division supervisor.
The officer making the original incident report shall provide
the sexual assault victim with the incident number
AND
the name and telephone number of the appropriate sex crimes unit that will be conducting the follow-up investigation.
The officer shall instruct the victim to call the appropriate sex crimes unit in order to
clarify processing steps
obtain information on support services for sexual assault victims
schedule an appointment.
Officers shall inform the victim about the HPD Victim Services Unit, which assists victims of violent crime. For extenuating circumstances requiring immediate assistance after hours, the ______ can contact a crime victim liaison.
HPD Command Center
If an officer makes an arrest for a sexual assault, the officer shall _______ so that a ______ investigator can make immediate follow-up with the suspect.
contact the Special Victims Division hold desk; Special Victims Division;
For arrests made after regular business hours, officers shall contact _______ and have the appropriate on-call supervisor contacted so that an on-call officer can be sent to follow up with the arrested suspect.
the Command Center
Texas law states that if a sexual assault is reported to a law enforcement agency within __________, with the consent of the victim the agency shall ________.
96 hours following the assault; a forensic medical examination.
If a sexual assault is not reported within 96 hours, the agency _______________.
request a forensic medical examination if appropriate.
The officer assigned to the crime scene to make the original incident report shall_______.
refer sexual assault victims to the nearest designated sexual assault treatment center for a medical examination.
If an officer is dispatched directly to the hospital to take a report, the officer making the original incident report shall provide the hospital official with the following information:
Incident number
Names of the complainants and witnesses
Date and time of the offense
When an officer has a prisoner in custody or is otherwise unable to go directly from the crime scene to the hospital for needed follow-up, the officer shall
first advise a supervisor and then the dispatcher.
The officer shall supplement the call history with the following information:
Type of offense
Incident number
Location of crime scene
Date of incident
Suspect information
Complainants’ and witnesses’ names
Investigating officer’s name
Name of sexual assault treatment center (e.g., hospital)
The officer responsible for picking up the sexual assault kit prepared by the treatment center shall
deliver it to the department’s Property Division regardless of whether the kit is a Houston Police Department kit or another kit the hospital may have used inadvertently for the examination.
Officers who are assigned to pick up sexual assault kit evidence from hospitals shall
use the template to document the details of the transaction.
The Sexual Assault Kit Evidence narrative form is located in the ARS Narrative Templates under the input code
“SAK CHAIN.” The template can be found in the Narrative tab “8 Narrative.” Select “Load Narrative Template” and type “SAK CHAIN” in for the Code.
Officers shall contact ________ if there are any questions or issues regarding the incident or treatment center procedures.
supervisory staff of the Special Victims Division
In addition to the normally required report information, the officer making the original incident report or the officer making the follow-up call shall
enter and identify all property, articles, and evidence on a separate and appropriate property screen.
Officers shall
collect all evidence that could aid in the prosecution of the sexual assault including, but not limited to, the following:
Weapons
Scene photos
Photos of injuries
Blood, semen, hairs
Items that may contain evidentiary biological materials including, but not limited to:
- Clothing
- Undergarments
- Sheets
Bindings
Audio or video recordings
Cellular telephones
Other digital evidence
When responding to an incident involving a sexual abuse of a child younger than 17 years of age, officers shall _______ for assignment to an investigator.
generate an incident report and forward it to the Special Victims Division.
This applies even in the case of a delayed report.
Officers shall ensure that victims of sexual assaults occurring ______ are immediately referred for a sexual assault examination.
within the previous 96 hours; immediately
Child victims who have been sexually abused within the previous 96 hours (acute exam) or beyond the previous 96 hours (non-acute exam), shall be
referred preferably to the Texas Children’s Hospital in the Houston Medical Center to obtain a sexual assault examination.
If a sexual assault is not reported within 96 hours following the assault, the department _______ if appropriate. Officers may contact the Special Victims Division’s on-call supervisor for guidance.
request a forensic medical examination
Officers shall not direct victims or caretakers to go to the ______ or the________ in lieu of generating an original incident report.
the Children’s Assessment, the Special Victims Division’s Child Sexual Abuse Unit (CSAU)
