What happened
The new analysis conducted by nonprofit End Violence Against Women International followed extensive scrutiny of APD's mishandling of sex crimes. After a nearly $900,000 legal settlement with survivors, the city has also taken on other reviews and proposed reforms while the local Collective Sex Crimes Response Model project continues to survey those changes.
The more than 200-page report released this year covers dozens of recent sexual assault cases, a sampling of the hundreds routed to the SCU every year. APD leaders said the review is a new process in Austin, and nationwide, intended to better police sex crime investigations and interactions with victims. Following the inaugural review, similar processes and public reporting based on "evolving best practices" will follow every year, according to APD.
"We hope our proactive approach and ongoing efforts to improve the experience and outcome for sexual assault survivors will serve as an example to other units and agencies throughout the nation," Police Chief Lisa Davis wrote in March. “We understand the sensitive nature of such case reviews and the impact they have on the survivors of our community. We are committed to learning from this review and taking the necessary steps to improve our services."
The approach
Annual case reviews were one of dozens of correctives proposed in a recent audit of APD's sexual assault responses. That included findings of "systemic issues" with police work through the 2010s and a "breakdown" between law enforcement officials and survivors and advocates in the city.
City officials went on to boost funding for the APD's responses and victim services, including a $100,000 contract with EVAWI for the inaugural case review. The organization was also contracted to oversee the implementation of recommendations for the SCU.
Zooming in
Several areas of strength and shortcomings in local sex crimes investigations were identified in EVAWI's first report for 2021 and 2022. Analysts spent hours looking over interviews, body camera footage, 911 calls, and other communications and documentation tied to more than 40 cases with varied outcomes.
“What’s significant is no other agency does this," APD Cmdr. Deanna Lichter said." Literally, we had to create the process from ground zero."
Reviewers credited Austin police for doing an "exceptional job" of documenting contacts with those involved in cases, from victims to suspects, as well as the counseling, criminal justice support, advocacy and other offerings available through the department's "extraordinarily noteworthy" Victim Services Unit. They also highlighted positives with APD's approach to forensic exams and initial interviews with victims—especially by avoiding the burden of immediately asking them to participate in an investigation process.
Room for improvement was also found, and APD representatives said the department is already working to make operational revisions based on those findings. Priorities outlined last month include:
- Enhancing training for officers working with sex crimes and victims
- Setting new guidelines for responding to sexual assault calls
- Creating a formal checklist for detectives to follow during investigations
- Adding new documentation processes to log interactions with victims, suspects and witnesses
- Implementing evidence inventories for all materials in case files
- Improving data collection and analysis of cases
- Rolling out new quality assurance procedures, and related staffing
- Clarifying APD standards for communications, work with victims, reporting on cases and other processes
"By adopting a mindset of constantly leveling up, we’re committed to not just being good but being the best, setting a national standard for all sexual assault cases and how they should be handled with professionalism, compassion and precision," Lichter said. "We are determined to lead the way in developing best practices, and this case review is just one of many steps on that journey.”
Also of note
Despite the recent focus on reforms and "great progress" being made, Hanna Senko—a Collective Sex Crimes Response Model leader and plaintiff in one of the federal lawsuits the city settled—noted the challenges victims still face after a crime takes place.
“For any sexual assault survivor, going through the process of reporting can be difficult regardless of how much implementation that we put in place for improvement," she said. "What we want to be able to do is provide the utmost care, support handling of these cases. And it’s things like this case review that’s going to ensure that that can occur for every survivor that comes forward, and continue to improve year over year.”
Lichter also noted that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Texas and highlighted several locally available resources for both survivors and those they know. Victims can call 911 to report a sexual assault, and forensic exams can be conducted without filing a police report by calling The SAFE Alliance at 512-267-7233.
More information is available from APD at 512-974-5555, and feedback can be provided at [email protected] or [email protected].
