In accordance with State law, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) has launched a new portal for survivors of sexual assault to securely track and receive updates regarding the status of their sexual assault evidence kit (SAEK).
Senate Bill 215 amended Section 680.1 of the California Penal Code to require law enforcement agencies to establish a process for survivors to access the information electronically.
“The San Diego Police Department is committed to helping sexual assault survivors in knowing exactly where their kit is in the process,” Police Chief David Nisleit said. “This portal will be a great tool toward helping survivors stay informed every step of the way. We thank the Portland Police Bureau for sharing this technology with law enforcement agencies for free.”
SDPD worked with the Sexual Assault Management System (SAMS) team of the Portland Police Bureau to launch the Victim Portal they developed for use in San Diego. The Portland Police Bureau shares the
Victim Portal free of charge with other police agencies in return for travel expenses while working on implementation with the agency.
Survivors of sexual assault are not required to participate in a police investigation or complete the sexual assault evidence kit examination, however, completing the exam preserves forensic evidence should they choose to pursue a police investigation in the future.
Sexual assault evidence kits undergo several steps before they are complete. Steps include the initial gathering of forensic evidence by medical personnel, transfer of the evidence kit to the law enforcement agency, and processing of the kit by the forensic laboratory.
Survivors administered an exam after July 1, 2022, can access the portal using their SAEK number provided to them by hospital personnel following their exam. For increased privacy, it is recommended to view the portal using a private or incognito window.
Once in the portal, survivors will find:
- Status of the kit’s progress with completed steps in blue, incomplete steps in gray, and yellow describing each step.
- A tracking events table that lists the dates when each step was completed and gives any additional details. Completed steps will have green checks.
- A contact number for further assistance with the portal.
More information on sexual assault and access to the portal can be found on the SDPD website: sandiego.gov/police/services/sexual-assault.
Republished courtesy of SDPD.