“I’m not his victim anymore. I’m a survivor of what he did.”
Victim from a 2007 SAKI Case
“I choose not to let you have any more power over my life and my future. You took advantage
of my trust and you should feel ashamed and sorry for what you did to me.”
Victim from a 1996 SAKI Case
The number of unsubmitted sexual assault evidence collection kits (Kits) is a nationwide problem that has affected numerous communities across the United States. In 2015, the Portland Police Bureau completed an extensive audit of our property room to identify all Kits in our possession. The final count was 1,754 Kits.
The Portland Police Bureau received its first SAKI grant in 2015 which supported staffing for prosecution, forensic consultation, support services and advocacy. The MCDA’s office received a DANY grant which paid only for the testing of kits in an outside laboratory.
In 2015, the PPB led the state in mandatory testing of all kits. The Sex Crimes Unit staffing has increased by 60% and the progressive unit is victim centered, trauma-informed and heralded nationwide as a leader in best practices in sexual assault investigations, advocacy and prosecution.
The SCU received 2 additional SAKI grants in 2016 and 2018 to support the tracking of sexual assault kits, IT developments of bar code scanning, a statewide portal for victims and the continued and ongoing investigation and prosecution.
Partnering with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, there have been 13 indictments and 6 convictions resulting from untested kit investigations.
Do You Have a Kit with PPB?
The Portland Police Bureau asks anyone who was a victim of a sex crime within the past 29 years and had a Kit done, to email us, or contact the Bureau’s dedicated phone line to check on the status of their Kit. The Bureau has a dedicated Victim Services Specialist to answer all calls and questions about the testing process and what next steps are possible.
Call today: 503-823-0125
The Victim Services Specialist can also help with any additional supportive resources a person may need, because, for many crime victims, learning that their Kits are now being tested may bring to the surface strong feelings and emotions. Despite the passage of time, a crime victim might feel shock, confusion, anger, fear, anxiety, relief, and/or happiness. Crime victims already notified about their Kits have reported feeling burdened by the knowledge, while others feel grateful to finally know what has happened and what can happen now.
We named our work on the Initiative the Rose Project because not only is Portland the City of Roses, community members who email us have a bit more privacy, as the email could be for a gardening project, or event: RoseProject@police.portlandoregon.gov
And because of the very personal and confidential nature of these crimes, we are unable to provide information to anyone except the victim listed on the police report.
News Coverage on the Project:
November 2018: “DA: Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison after Pleading Guilty in Rape Backlog Case”
https://www.kptv.com/news/da-man-sentenced-to-months-in-prison-after-pleading-guilty/article_939531c6-e889-11e8-84f6-03de183957f4.html
October 2018: 10/31/18: “Portland Man Arrested in Connection to 22-Year-Old Rape Case Found Guilty On All Charges”https://www.kptv.com/news/portland-man-arrested-in-connection-to--year-old-rape/article_f93d53f2-dd74-11e8-a48c-475e543f790b.html
August 2018: “Convicted Rapist Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Prison.” https://katu.com/news/local/convicted-rapist-sentenced-to-more-than-8-years-in-prison
July 2018: “Portland Man Connected to 2011 Rape By Sex Assault Kit Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison”https://katu.com/news/local/curtis-clint-williams-convicted-of-2011-rape-through-sex-assault-kit-sentenced-to-years-in-prison
February 2018: “Defendant, Jose Rosales, Pled No Contest to Both Charges of Sex Abuse in the Second Degree”http://www.koin.com/news/local/multnomah-county/prosecutors-close-first-sex-assault-kit-initiative-case/970590929
April 2016: “Portland Police Ship 2,800 Untested Rape Kits to Utah for DNA Testing”
https://katu.com/news/local/local-law-enforcement-agencies-ship-2800-rape-kits-to-utah-for-testing