600-14 Sexual Assaults Flashcards
The Houston Police Department’s (HPD) procedural guidelines shall take the _____ approach and ensure that sexual assault victims receive efficient police services as well as sympathetic and understanding treatment. These procedures will benefit sexual assault victims and aid in the investigation of cases. The responsive, professional treatment of sexual assault victims by the police also should encourage more victims to report offenses and generally _____
This General Order applies to all employees.
1) victim centered
2) increase public confidence in and respect for the police.
Officers shall at all times treat sexual assault victims with compassion, consideration, understanding, and patience, although this shall not prevent officers from _____.
Officers who respond to the scene of a sexual assault (adult or child victim) may call the Special Victims Division between _____, Monday through Friday, or the _____ after regular business hours to request the appropriate on-call Special Victims’ supervisor for assistance.
1) collecting evidence and asking necessary questions
2) 0800 hours and 1600 hours
3) Command Center
If an officer has a complete license plate number for a vehicle involved in a serious crime such as sexual assault, a supervisor holding the rank of _____ or higher may approve usage of the _____ system.
See General Order 600-27, Preliminary and Follow-Up Investigations, for requirements and procedures.
1) lieutenant
2) Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) automated license plate recognition
Officers shall consult with the Special Victims Division in all sex crime related incidents involving:
a. Sexual assault of an adult or child victim and the suspect is _____.
b. ____ persons.
c. Juveniles, if guidance is needed due to the _____.
d. Persons who are _____ or otherwise unable to provide a statement.
e. _____.
f. Cases that could reasonably become _____.
g. A _____ employee.
h. Cases in which the officer believes a _____ should be requested to process the scene.
Immediate follow-up investigation shall be determined by a Special Victims Division supervisor.
1) still on the scene
2) Elderly
3) complexity of the on-scene investigation
4) mentally disabled
5) Serious bodily injury
6) high profile or are of media interest
7) City of Houston
8) crime scene unit
Officers responding to a sexual assault involving a peace officer shall immediately notify the _____
Homicide Division’s Special Investigations Unit.
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 in the Special Victims Division, Adult Sex Crimes Unit (ASCU) or Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU), that will be conducting the follow-up investigation. The officer shall instruct the victim to call the appropriate sex crimes unit in order to ____, ____, and ____.
Officers shall inform the victim about the HPD Victim Services Division, which assists victims of violent crime. For extenuating circumstances requiring immediate assistance after hours, the HPD Command Center can _____. Additionally, officers shall provide victims of sexual assault with the latest version of the “blue card” and document such action in the incident report.
1) clarify processing steps
2) obtain information on support services for sexual assault victims
3) schedule an appointment
4) contact a crime victim liaison
If an officer makes an arrest for a sexual assault, the officer shall contact the _____ so that a Special Victims Division investigator can conduct an immediate follow-up investigation with the suspect. For arrests made after regular business hours, officers shall contact the _____ and have the _____ contacted so that an on-call investigator can be sent to follow up with the arrested suspect.
1) Special Victims Division’s on call supervisor
2) Command Center
3) appropriate on-call supervisor
Forensic Medical Examination and Sexual Assault Kit
Texas law states that if a sexual assault is reported to a law enforcement agency within ____ following the assault, with the consent of the victim, the agency shall request a forensic medical examination. If a sexual assault is not reported within ____, the agency may request a forensic medical examination if the agency believes a forensic medical examination would _____
1) 120 hours
2) 120 hours
3) further the investigation or prosecution or the physician or examiner notifies the agency that a forensic medical examination should be conducted.
Forensic Medical Examination and Sexual Assault Kit
The primary officer assigned to the sexual assault investigation shall refer all sexual assault victims to the nearest _____. These designated treatment centers are hospitals located in Houston and Harris County that have made a commitment to prioritize the treatment of sexual assault victims in order to reduce the treatment time for these victims and to reduce the time an officer is out of service.
As an option for adult sexual assault victims, the primary officer shall offer to contact _____ to arrange a forensic medical exam at an alternate location in order to avoid long wait times that typically occur in hospital emergency rooms. TxFNE may be reached at 281-306-6893 (press 1 to speak with the 24/7 on-call forensic nurse).
As an option for child sexual assault victims, the primary officer shall direct victims to the____ to avoid long wait times. Alternative facilities available for child sexual victims during business hours include the University of Texas Medical School’s Child Abuse Resource and Education (C.A.R.E.) Clinic in the Houston Medical Center (business hours only, see note below) and the Children’s Assessment Center.
Note: For a referral and scheduling at either the University of Texas C.A.R.E. Clinic or the Children’s Assessment Center, officers shall contact the ____.
1) designated sexual assault treatment center for a forensic medical examination
2) Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners (TxFNE)
3) Texas Children Hospital
4) Special Victims Division’s CACU
Forensic Medical Examination and Sexual Assault Kit
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:
a. ____ number
b. Names of the _____
c. ____ of the offense
The address of the hospital shall not be used as the offense location in the incident report. The officer shall list the offense location as the _____
1) Incident
2) complainants and witnesses
3) Date and time
4) location where the crime occurred.
Forensic Medical Examination and Sexual Assault Kit
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 _____. The officer shall supplement the call history with the following information:
d. Type of offense
e. Incident number
f. Location of crime scene
g. Date of incident
h. Suspect information
i. Complainants’ and witnesses’ names
j. Investigating officer’s name
k. Name of sexual assault treatment center (e.g., hospital)
The dispatcher contacted shall then be responsible for ____. If the treatment center is not in that dispatcher’s area, the dispatcher shall advise the appropriate dispatcher. It shall then be the responsibility of the second dispatcher to assign a unit to make the needed hospital follow-up.
1) advise a supervisor and then the dispatcher
2) assigning another unit to make the needed hospital follow-up
Forensic Medical Examination and Sexual Assault Kit
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. This officer shall _____
Also, 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.
Authorizations are not required to submit a sexual assault kit to the Property Division (see General Order 700-01, Property/Evidence Control Regulations).
Officers shall contact ____ if there are any questions or issues regarding the incident or treatment center procedures.
1) complete a supplement to the original report detailing the pickup and tagging of the sexual assault kit.
2) Sexual Assault Kit Evidence-Chain of Custody Record
3) supervisory staff of the Special Victims Division
Evidence
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 ____.
Officers shall collect all evidence that could aid in the prosecution of the sexual assault
separate and appropriate property screen
Sexual Abuse of a Child (Younger than 17)
When responding to an incident involving the sexual abuse of a child younger than 17 years of age, officers shall generate an incident report and forward it to the Special Victims Division for assignment to an investigator. This also applies to delayed reports of sexual abuse. Juvenile sexual abuse complainants should be ____, therefore, officers should refrain from interviewing juvenile complainants beyond ____.
1) forensically interviewed
2) what is needed to establish a crime occurred
Sexual Abuse of a Child (Younger than 17)
Officers shall ensure that victims of sexual assaults are immediately referred for a forensic medical examination as outlined in the above Forensic Medical Examination and Sexual Assault Kit section. Officers may contact the ____ for guidance.
Officers shall not direct victims or caretakers to the Children’s Assessment Center or the Special Victims Division’s Crimes Against Children Unit in lieu of generating an original incident report. _____ are required to generate an incident report. Officers shall advise victims or the non-offending caretakers that a Crimes Against Children Unit investigator will contact them to schedule an interview. Officers shall also _____
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) shall be contacted by the responding patrol officer for allegations of _____. Statewide Intake may be contacted by calling 1-800- 877-5300. Officers shall include the DFPS’s reference number given to them in their original or supplement report.
1) Special Victims Division’s Crimes Against Children Unit on-call supervisor
2) Officers becoming aware of an incident
3) provide victims or non-offending caretakers the telephone numbers to the Crimes Against Children Unit for any follow-up questions.
4) sexual assault of a child in which the alleged perpetrator is a family member or caretaker
