Alberta RCMP programs in response to sexual assault and violence
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Specialized Investigative Unit
The Alberta RCMP has established a Specialized Investigative Unit (SIU) in Grande Prairie to focus on investigating sexual assault and domestic violence related offences. The SIU is a dedicated unit within the General Investigation Section (GIS) that utilizes specially trained, plainclothes, trauma-informed police officers to investigate complex domestic and sexual occurrences in the Grande Prairie and rural area and take a primary role in investigating high risk files. The pilot project with this team launched in 2020 and has now transitioned into a full time unit within the detachment after a successful year in operation. Currently Grande Prairie and Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray) RCMP detachments have a SIU.
The SIU currently works closely with local Child Advocacy Centres, sexual assault and domestic violence centres, local women's shelters, and other community victim service providers. Collaborative work with community partners is vital in the effort to support survivors and bringing awareness to the public.
Supportive Reporting Program
The Supportive Reporting Program (SRP) is a partnership between several RCMP detachments and their local/community sexual assault support centres. The SRP allows an opportunity for a survivor who attends a participating support centre and wishes to file a police report, to have a third party individual (advocate) liaise between the police and the survivor. The advocate will contact the local police to arrange for a time/place for the survivor to meet with a specially-trained, trauma-informed police investigator. The police investigator will meet with the survivor at the support centre (or other agreed upon location) and explain reporting options, roles and responsibilities of those involved in the criminal justice process and offer any other information that may help the survivor make an informed choice about whether or not they wish to report or how far they wish to participate in the criminal justice system. Regardless if a survivor participates fully in the criminal justice process, they will still receive support to help them through their reporting steps.
Third Option Evidence Collection
Third Option Evidence Collection (also known as Third Option) is an Alberta Health Services (AHS) program that provides survivors of sexual assault the opportunity to complete a forensic medical exam (which can include a Sexual Assault Evidence Kit) and have the evidence stored confidentially until the survivor is ready to decide if they wish to report the incident to the police or not. Providing the survivor with time to decide if filing a police report is the right option for them is a victim-centred approach that allows for the survivor to access other supports they may need while ensuring that potential crucial evidence is obtained and secured; which may assist in securing a conviction in court. The Alberta RCMP partnership with AHS permits the RCMP to supply the kits free of charge and hold the collected evidence confidentially for a period of 12 months to allow the survivor sufficient time to make an informed decision on how they wish to proceed, if at all. For full confidentiality, no identifying information about the survivor is provided by AHS to the RCMP at this time.
Alberta RCMP K Sexual Assault Review Team
The Alberta RCMP K Sexual Assault Review Team (KSART) was developed in 2021 to provide investigative oversight and guidance and to oversee the development of policies and programming pertaining to sexual violence. KSART delivers training to detachments and supervisors throughout the Alberta RCMP on best practices for sexual violence investigations. KSART also oversees the K Division Sexual Assault Investigations Review Committee as well as the development of detachment Sexual Violence Reviewer positions. The KSART unit is the first divisional team of its kind within the RCMP utilizing a similar structure to the National Sexual Assault Review Team located in Ottawa (National Headquarters). The goal of KSART is to ensure that the Alberta RCMP has a collaborative approach to sexual violence which is based upon victim-centered and trauma-informed principals. KSART works closely with other law enforcement partners to establish a consistent police sexual violence response throughout the province of Alberta.
Alberta RCMP Sexual Assault Investigations Review Committees
In 2017, the RCMP created a team in Ottawa to review the divisional reports, assess all aspects of sexual assault investigations, consult with external stakeholders, partners and experts, and provide direction on how to improved RCMP investigations into these serious crimes. Since the publication of The Way Forward: The RCMP's Sexual Assault Review and Victim Support Action Plan, the RCMP has developed a framework that will allow RCMP divisions to establish external review committees. Establishing external sexual assault review committees is an important accountability mechanism that has proven beneficial to many police organizations in North America. The RCMP's approach to external review is based on the principles of already established external review models. Some modifications and enhancements to the RCMP approach will allow the RCMP to respect federal Privacy Act requirements, while ensuring transparency through the measurement of results.
The Alberta RCMP's Sexual Assault Investigations Review Committee (SAIRC) has become an important extension of the sexual assault investigation process, ensuring investigations are complete, timely, impartial and properly classified.
SAIRC is mandated to:
- make case-specific recommendations which could lead to the file being re-classified and/or the re-opening/taking further investigative actions for cases determined to have deficiencies that may impact the outcome of the investigation; and
- make broad-based recommendations to improve the RCMP's response to complaints of sexual assault and enhance RCMP policies, procedures and training.
Alberta RCMP's SAIRC aims to meet quarterly throughout the province to review concluded files not cleared by criminal charges. The working relationship with SAIRC is beneficial to ensuring the RCMP is aligned with victim-centered and trauma-informed principals.
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