First multi-jurisdictional sexual assault task force

Published on April 18, 2018

The cities of Commerce City and Brighton announced today the establishment of a joint Sexual Assault Taskforce, a multi-jurisdictional pilot program that centralizes sexual assault investigations and management across jurisdictions, providing a victim-centered approach to handling these crimes.

Nationwide, one in every four women and one in seven men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, but 70 percent of those assaults go unreported. While the #MeToo movement has helped bring these incidents to the forefront, it is critical to ensure the voice of every victim is heard and law enforcement agencies provide better advocacy and service to sexual assault victims.

This taskforce, the first of its kind in Colorado, provides an integrated approach to the response and investigation of sex crimes. All sex investigations and sex offender management will be handled by a dedicated and specialized team of individuals who will serve victims from the initial incident all the way through the courtroom.

“An audit of Commerce City’s sexual assault investigations showed our agency could do better in providing victim-centered and offender-focused public safety services,” said Commerce City Chief of Police Clint Nichols. “By applying multi-jurisdictional best practices to sex crimes – an approach that has proven effective in combating other chronic crime issues – I believe residents will see an unprecedented level of dedication and advocacy for victims.”

The taskforce will be staffed with eight employees specially trained in victimization and trauma, who are solely dedicated to investigating crimes, managing sex offenders and ensuring the voices of victims are heard. The work of the joint taskforce is rooted in the You Have Options reporting program, which has certified both agencies.

“The combined Commerce City-Brighton Victim Services Unit served more than 3,691 individuals last year, an 82 percent increase from 2016,” said Brighton Police Chief Paul Southard. “I’m excited about the opportunity to expand our interagency relationship in the areas of sexual assault investigations and sex offender management, increasing the collective capacity of both agencies.”

The 17th Judicial District has committed an assistant district attorney to the taskforce, while Adams County is providing office space. The pilot program is partially funded by a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, with $1.1 million in matching funds provided by each municipality.

“Commerce City and Brighton have done a fantastic job creating this taskforce and setting a high bar for a program that we believe has the potential to become a national model,” said Brenda Bond, subject matter expert with the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. “We look forward to providing assistance and resources to help them make this program successful.”

The Commerce City and Brighton police departments believe this pilot program will successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of the task force framework for sexual assault investigations and sex offender management, making this partnership a strategic policing model for the region and nation.

Sex Assault TaskforcePhoto Caption: Commerce City Chief of Police Clint Nichols (left center) and Brighton Chief of Police Paul Southard (right center) are joined by members of the Commerce City-Brighton Sexual Assault Taskforce.