Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot is proud to announce the award of two significant federal grants totaling $3,866,232 to enhance justice for victims of violent crimes. The grants include $2,366,241 to establish the Dallas County Cold Case Initiative Project and $1,499,991 to continue funding the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). Together, these grants will fully fund these critical programs for the next three years, reinforcing Dallas County’s commitment to solving cold cases and providing justice for survivors of violent crimes.
“This grant money will allow us to apply more resources to solve more violent crimes and solve them faster than ever before,” said Creuzot. “This is an incredibly profound time for the people of Dallas County to finally get justice for some of the worst crimes committed against our citizens.”
The creation of the Cold Case Initiative Project will divide responsibilities between two dedicated units: the SAKI Unit, which will continue to handle cold case sexual assaults, both fatal and non-fatal, and the soon-to-be-formed Cold Case Homicide Unit, which will focus exclusively on unsolved murders.
The need for these efforts is underscored by the Dallas Police Department’s inventory of more than 3,000 cold case homicides, many of which are believed to have a sexual motivation. The District Attorney’s Office will continue to serve as the lead agency for a Violent Crimes Cold Case Taskforce to address this backlog, working in close partnership with the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center, The SANE Initiative, the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, and other law enforcement agencies.
“This project strengthens our long-standing relationships with the Dallas Police Department, the FBI, and other law enforcement partners,” Creuzot added. “Our office is a leader in cold case investigations, utilizing cutting-edge technology like Investigative Genetic Genealogy to solve cases that have remained cold for decades.”
The Cold Case Unit will include two prosecutors, one investigator, a victim advocate, and a site coordinator, all of whom will devote their full time to investigating and prosecuting cold cases. The addition of a victim advocate will ensure trauma-informed care and streamlined services for survivors of homicide victims throughout the notification and justice process.
The SAKI Task Force was formed in 2015 thanks to the efforts of ADA Amy Derrick who serves as Administrative Chief over the Dallas County DA’s Office Sexual Assault Division. Since its formation, the task force has made extraordinary progress in addressing cold-case sexual assaults by investigating 375 cases, prosecuting 121 cases, and identifying more than 90 serial offenders accounting for over 600 victims.
“The SAKI Task Force has been instrumental in ensuring justice for survivors of sexual violence,” said ADA Amy Derrick. “These grants affirm our commitment to using every available resource to hold offenders accountable and keep our community safe.”
The continuation of the SAKI grant funding will enable the task force to maintain its dedicated personnel, including two investigators, two prosecutors, a victim advocate, and a site coordinator. These team members play a crucial role in supporting survivors, tracking DNA testing, and prosecuting cases arising from the thousands of untested sexual assault kits collected by the Dallas Police Department.
With these federal grants, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office continues to advance justice, protect the community, and deliver long-awaited answers to victims and their families.
Republished courtesy of Dallas County DA