Colifornia Constitution Mayor: Clyde Roberson*

- LEAs in Monterey County lacked awareness and provided unclear and inconsistent information as to whether there are any backlogged rape kits. The City of Monterey partially disagrees with this finding. We cannot speak to the practices of other agencies. However, the Monterey Police Department (MPD) tracks and is aware of the status of sexual assault rape kits that have been collected in relation to investigations conducted by the MPD.

– The lack of a centralized place to post information has resulted in a lack of consistency in the way that LEAs manage and track sexual assaults. CITY HALL • MONTEREY • CALIFORNIA • 93940 • 831,646,3760 • FAX 831,646,3793 Website • www.monterey.org The City of Monterey partially disagrees with this finding. We cannot speak to the practices of other agencies. The Monterey Police Department (MPD) participates in a monthly meeting with other law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney's Office to coordinate sexual assault investigations. The MPD is part of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) which works with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), during investigations. Any DNA evidence obtained is submitted to the Rapid DNA Service (RADS). The MPD also reports the status of sexual assault forensic evidence through the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Tracking (SAFE-T) though the California Department of Justice as is required by PC 680.4.

– At the beginning of this investigation, not all the LEAs were prepared to report the Rape Kit status information to the CDOJ as required by PC 680.4. The City of Monterey partially disagrees with this finding. We cannot speak to the practices of other agencies. The Monterey Police Department has reported the Rape Kit status information to the CDOJ as required by PC 680.4.

– There is advanced training available for sexual assault investigators, but LEAs are instead relying upon senior investigators to provide "on the job training to other investigators within their respective departments." The City of Monterey disagrees with this finding. While we cannot speak to the practices of other agencies, the Monterey Police Department does not solely rely upon senior investigators to provide "on the job training to other investigators within their respective departments." MPD sends all detectives to a Sexual Assault Investigator Course when assigned to the MPD Investigations Division. The three detectives currently assigned to the MPD Investigations Division have all completed the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Police, Institute of Criminal Investigation (ICI) Sexual Assault Investigator Course.

– Training for advanced skills in the forensics of sexual assault investigations is not prioritized in the budgeting process. The City of Monterey disagrees with this finding. The City of Monterey, through its Police Department budget, ensures that there is funding for all Monterey Police Department detectives to attend sexual assault training. This is a priority for the MPD.

– Some LEAs rely on cross-training less experienced patrol officers to supplement understaffed investigative teams rather than prioritizing the strategic increase of well-trained investigators. The City of Monterey partially disagrees with this finding. We cannot speak to the practices of other agencies. As described previously, the Monterey Police Department places a priority on training detectives in sexual assault investigations. Additionally, the MPD has patrol officers who were previously assigned as detectives and attended the sexual assault investigation training.

– All jurisdictions can expedite the investigations of rape crimes through access to the RADS processing to facilitate timely resolution of rape cases. The City of Monterey agrees with this finding. The Monterey Police Department already expedites the investigations of rape crimes through access and utilization of the RADS processing system.

- Most LEAs in Monterey County have implemented DNA testing protocols established by the CDOJ which have reduced the likelihood of unprocessed DNA evidence. The City of Monterey agrees with this finding. The Monterey Police Department has implemented DNA testing protocols that are in compliance with CDOJ.

– There is no centralized authority coordinating all LEAs in Monterey County regarding collection, processing and reporting of sexual assaults. The City of Monterey partially disagrees with this finding. The MPD complies with all state mandates and employs contemporary best practices to investigate sexual assaults. The MPD attends monthly meetings with other Monterey County Sexual Assault Investigators including the District Attorney to share information and coordinate any investigations that may be occurring in other jurisdictions.