A pilot project is allowing for a new way to anonymously report sexual assault to the police.
Sexual assault survivors over 19 years of age in the Sea to Sky Corridor, including Squamish, will be able to report the crime using the Third Party Reporting Option. They can anonymously provide crime details with assistance from a trained, locally-based Third Party Reporting worker who specialize in emotional and practical support.
“TPR Workers are a bridge of communication, a buffer between victims and law enforcement, so survivors won’t have direct contact with police, except when disclosure reveals a child or other members of the public are in significant danger,” said Shannon Cooley Herdman, the sexual assault response and prevention advocate and facilitator for the Howe Sound Women’s Centre.
After the survivor makes their report, the anonymous information will be entered by the local detachment into a system that will contact all B.C. police jurisdictions associated with the program.
“A dedicated police member at RCMP “E” Division will also examine the report for recurring crime patterns in our region or elsewhere in BC, potentially catching serial perpetrators more quickly,” said Cooley Herdman.
In 2008, the Third Party Reporting Option was approved in response to “the Bakker Case,” when a serial assailant was discovered to be targeting women unlikely to report to police.
The pilot project is intended for survivors who would not otherwise report their sexual assault to police and is considered a reporting option “of last resort.”
The Third Party Reporting Option is not a formal police investigation, nor is it a substitute for calling 911, but anyone using it can apply for the Crime Victim Assistance Program to access specialized help, such as trauma counselling.
“Small towns don’t typically have the breadth of victims’ programming urban jurisdictions take for granted,” said Cooley Herdman. “Prior to this pilot, only agencies in larger communities with a contract-type known as Community Based Victim Services provided the Third Party Reporting Option. We are so pleased the Sea to Sky region can now offer sexual assault survivors this new way to access the justice system.”
She anticipates sexual assault disclosures will go up due to the new system and it will be a helpful tool to catch serial assailants.
