SOLVE MORE SEX CRIMES
Acommittee freshly struck by the Calgary Police Service offers the hope of putting more sexual offenders behind bars. Crime is always a violation of a victim’s security, but few offences are as heinous as sexual assault. It is important that these cases receive the greatest attention possible, so that offenders can be brought to justice and victims know they have the community’s support. The new committee emphasizes that essential message. Five community agencies that work with victims of sexual assault will meet with police at least three times a year to review current sex crime cases that officers have classified as unfounded — in other words, files where it was determined the offence did not occur and where no other crime took place at the reported time and location.
The project is patterned after the so-called Philadelphia Model, which was launched in 2000 when the American city’s police force was facing criticism for the way it investigated sex crimes. Reaching out to community agencies was designed to restore the city’s faith in the police force, but it turned out to be much more than an exercise in image building.
In reviewing cases police had deemed unfounded, the group’s representatives identified unfinished paperwork connected to evidence, missing records of rape kit results, accusations of blaming the victim and reports of witnesses that were never interviewed.
“Police acknowledged they made mistakes,” Carol Tracy, one of Philadelphia’s first panel members, told CBC News. “Our job was to come in, see if we saw problems, why there was a problem, and do all we could to improve how sex crimes cases are investigated and victims are treated.”
That’s a tremendously important task, and the model has been embraced by several cities, including Calgary. Committee members don’t have access to confidential information, such as the names of alleged victims, but they are able to review all other details of the investigation.
“This committee will offer advice on whether an investigation could be improved to ensure that we have done as thorough of an investigation as possible,” says Staff Sgt. Bruce Walker with the Calgary police sex crimes unit.
“The committee members will also be able to suggest ways our training policies and procedures can be improved to help better serve the victims of sexual offences.”
This style of collaboration between police and the agencies that assist victims of sexual assault is encouraging. The community is stronger when we bring expertise together and work with a common goal in mind — especially an objective as important as the safety of the public.