Resources for Law Enforcement

To ensure survivors of sexual assault are treated with respect and empathy and are not further traumatized during initial reporting to law enforcement and throughout the investigation, additional and ongoing training for law enforcement professionals is recommended. Accordingly, the SASTF has compiled a list of resources and training opportunities for Texas’ law enforcement officers. This list will be updated periodically.

First Responder's Sexual Assault Guide

This guide provides best practices for initial interactions with an adult sexual assault survivor through a trauma-informed, victim/survivor-centered, and offender-focused response. The guide was developed through a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach and is available for law enforcement officers in Texas.

Digital Print

End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI)

End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) was founded in 2003 by Sergeant Joanne Archambault, who retired from the San Diego Police Department after serving almost 23 years in law enforcement. During her decades of work with victims and other professionals, Sergeant Archambault saw a critical need for training in sexual assault investigation and prosecution. EVAWI was created to fill this void. EVAWI offers online training, best practices, resource library, and achieved webinars.

EVAWI OnLine Training Institute (OLTI)

OLTI has various training modules available online and is free to any interested professional. Participants in the OLTI can work through the various training modules to learn and review new information and then apply this knowledge in realistic and interactive scenarios, as well as assessment methods such as quizzes, tests, and case studies.

Institute for Coordinated Community Response (ICCR) On-Demand Training Resources

The Institute for Coordinated Community Response has partnered with national experts to produce on-demand roll call trainings addressing urgent needs in the field. Divided into short video segments, complete with discussion guides and additional resources, these free trainings are geared towards Texas law enforcement professionals but are useful for any practitioners dedicated to eradicating violence against women.

Click the links below to complete a short registration process to access each training:

ICCR also provides free monthly webinars and a yearly rural, virtual conference. Visit www.InstituteCCR.org/Upcoming-Events to learn more.

Sexual Assault Family Violence Investigators Course (SAFVIC)

SAFVIC is a comprehensive law enforcement training program. The curriculum was developed with the assistance of experts from law enforcement, prosecution, and victim services. The course covers crucial aspects of law enforcement’s response to sexual assault and family violence crimes, and encourages the use of community-based resources to assist law enforcement’s efforts. SAFVIC uses a network of certified trainers to deliver this training on a local basis, which allows them to bring this free course to your area. SAFVIC is free to Texas Peace Officers and Telecommunication Professionals.

The SAFVIC Program also offers the following courses:

8-hour SAFVIC for Telecommunication Professionals
8-hour SAFVIC – Human Trafficking training
8-hr training on the Investigation & Prosecution of Strangulation.

SAFVIC Systems Leaders Informative and Educational Training Videos

SAFVIC Systems is a free reporting system for Texas law enforcement agencies to utilize in conjunction with various criminal justice system users including:

Magistrate
Prosecutor’s Office
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)

The goal of the system is to eliminate reporting redundancies and handwritten information by combining a variety of forms and templates to assist law enforcement with expediting the criminal justice system cycle through an electronic, user-friendly reporting interface.

SAFVIC System Leaders also created informative and educational training videos for law enforcement officers.

Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI)

The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) provides funding through a competitive grant program to support the jurisdictional reform of approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in sexual assault kits (SAKs) that have never been submitted to a crime laboratory. SAKI is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases through:

a comprehensive and victim-centered approach,
jurisdictional capacity building to prevent high numbers of unsubmitted SAKs in the future, and
supporting the investigation and prosecution of cases for which SAKs were previously unsubmitted.

SAKI Training and Technical Assistance Program

The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) program, led by RTI International and in partnership with a team of subject matter experts, offers expertise and assistance to jurisdictions as they establish widespread, evidence-based, sustainable practices for:

Collecting and processing forensic evidence,
Investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases resulting from evidence from previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs), and
Supporting survivors of sexual assault.

In collaboration with ongoing efforts underway at the Office of Justice Programs and stakeholder organizations, the SAKI TTA team will assist in the development, implementation, and dissemination of best practices, policies, and protocols for addressing systematic issues that lead to large numbers of unsubmitted kits, and preventing those issues from reoccurring in the future.

The TTA team will efficiently disseminate publications and resources kits that address the lessons learned, common challenges, and best practices resulting from the experience of the SAKI grantees.

SAKI Toolkits

Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA)

TAASA is the unifying voice to eliminate sexual violence in Texas. As the statewide coalition of survivors, advocates, rape crisis centers, and allied professionals, we are committed to fostering a culture that respects the fundamental rights and dignity of all.

Statewide training: TAASA trains people throughout the state of Texas on a variety of sexual assault issues and related topics that apply to advocates, counselors, law enforcement, prosecutors, prevention workers, and the general public. Workshops and trainings are free and are available for organizations working to end sexual assault.

University of Texas – Austin (UT) Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault’s (IDVSA) Compendium of Resources on Sexual Assault (CORSA) Videos

IDVSA researchers created five evidence-based videos that feature law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates who work daily with sexual assault survivors and leading scholars in the field. The videos discuss issues as diverse as consent, the neurobiology of trauma, and alcohol and drug use. These victim-centered resources were created to enhance coordinated community sexual assault response efforts and build off the original CORSA project.

Click on the links below to access the standalone training videos:

Neurobiology of Trauma in Sexual Assault Cases (13 min)
Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault (9 min)
Alcohol and Drugs in Sexual Assault Cases (9 min)
Sexual Assault Response Collaboration (7 min)
Sexual Assault and Consent (10 min)