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Policy 601Santa Ana Police Department Santa Ana PD Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2026/01/05, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Ana Police DepartmentSexual Assault Investigations - 1Sexual Assault Investigations 601.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the investigation of sexual assaults. These guidelines will address some of the unique aspects of such cases and the effects that these crimes have on the victims. Mandatory notifications requirements are addressed in the Child Abuse and Senior and Disability Victimization policies. 601.1.1 DEFINITIONS Definitions related to this policy include: Sexual assault - Any crime or attempted crime of a sexual nature, to include, but not limited to, offenses defined in Penal Code § 243.4, Penal Code § 261 et seq., and Penal Code § 285 et seq. Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) - A multidisciplinary team generally comprised of advocates; law enforcement officers; forensic medical examiners, including sexual assault forensic examiners (SAFEs) or sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) if possible; forensic laboratory personnel; and prosecutors. The team is designed to coordinate a broad response to sexual assault victims. 601.2 POLICY It is the policy of the Santa Ana Police Department that its members, when responding to reports of sexual assaults, will strive to minimize the trauma experienced by the victims, and will aggressively investigate sexual assaults, pursue expeditious apprehension and conviction of perpetrators, and protect the safety of the victims and the community. 601.3 QUALIFIED INVESTIGATORS Qualified investigators should be available for assignment of sexual assault investigations. These investigators should: (a)Have specialized training in, and be familiar with, interview techniques and the medical and legal issues that are specific to sexual assault investigations. (b)Conduct follow-up interviews and investigation. (c)Present appropriate cases of alleged sexual assault to the prosecutor for review. (d)Coordinate with other enforcement agencies, social service agencies and medical personnel as needed. (e)Provide referrals to therapy services, victim advocates and support for the victim. (f)Participate in or coordinate with SART. Santa Ana Police Department Santa Ana PD Policy Manual Sexual Assault Investigations Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2026/01/05, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Ana Police DepartmentSexual Assault Investigations - 2601.4 REPORTING In all reported or suspected cases of sexual assault, a report should be written. This includes incidents in which the allegations appear unfounded or unsubstantiated. 601.5 RELEASING INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC In cases where the perpetrator is not known to the victim, and especially if there are multiple crimes where more than one appear to be related, consideration should be given to releasing information to the public when there is a reasonable likelihood that doing so may result in developing helpful investigative leads. The Special Crimes Section Sergeant should weigh the risk of alerting the suspect to the investigation with the need to protect the victim and the public, and to prevent more crimes. 601.6 TRAINING Subject to available resources, periodic training should be provided to: (a)Members who are first responders. Training should include: 1.Initial response to sexual assaults. 2.Legal issues. 3.Victim advocacy. 4.Victim’s response to trauma. 5.Proper use and handling of the California standardized SAFE kit (Penal Code § 13823.14). (b)Qualified investigators, who should receive advanced training on additional topics. Advanced training should include: 1.Interviewing sexual assault victims. 2.SART. 3.Medical and legal aspects of sexual assault investigations. 4.Serial crimes investigations. 5.Use of community and other federal and state investigative resources, such as the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP). 6.Techniques for communicating with victims to minimize trauma. 601.7 VICTIM INTERVIEWS The primary considerations in sexual assault investigations, which begin with the initial call to Communications Division, should be the health and safety of the victim, the preservation of evidence, and preliminary interviews to determine if a crime has been committed and to attempt to identify the suspect. When possible, a member of SART should be included in the initial victim interviews. An in-depth follow-up interview should not be conducted until after the medical and forensic examinations are Santa Ana Police Department Santa Ana PD Policy Manual Sexual Assault Investigations Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2026/01/05, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Ana Police DepartmentSexual Assault Investigations - 3completed and the personal needs of the victim have been met (e.g., change of clothes, bathing). The follow-up interview may be delayed to the following day based upon the circumstances. Whenever practicable, the follow-up interview should be conducted by a qualified investigator. No opinion of whether the case is unfounded shall be included in the report, unless the opinions are factually based and the facts are documented in the report.. Victims shall not be asked or required to take a polygraph examination (34 USC § 10451; Penal Code § 637.4). Victims should be apprised of applicable victim’s rights provisions, as outlined in the Victim and Witness Assistance Policy. 601.7.1 VICTIM RIGHTS Whenever there is an alleged sexual assault, the assigned officer shall accomplish the following: (a)Prior to the commencement of the initial interview, advise the victim in writing of the right to have a victim advocate and a support person of the victim's choosing