The way sexual assault cases are reviewed in Regina is about to change with the implementation of a 17-month pilot project.
Set to begin this summer, the project is based on the Philadelphia Model, a review protocol developed in that city.
The project will see the Regina Police Service work with experts in the field of sexual assault services to ensure police investigations are thorough.
On a quarterly basis, members of organizations like the Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan and Family Service Regina will review Regina’s police sexual assault investigations.
The review will apply to cases where charges haven’t been laid.
“There’s been a lot of discussion over the last two, two and a half years about unfounded sexual assaults and how they’re categorized,” Regina police Chief Evan Bray said.
“I think it was something that not just policing agencies, but society woke up to and said ‘okay, what do we need to do to do this different?’”
The first Canadian iteration of the project was implemented in Ottawa. The idea has since spread to other Canadian police jurisdictions and provinces.
“When I heard this province was looking for a pilot I put my hand up and said ‘let’s us do this,’” Bray said.
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“This essentially, is us bringing in experts. People who are not police officers, but have spent their lives working and helping and advocating and supporting those who are survivors of sexual violence. Letting them have a look at our sexual assault investigations and giving us feedback.”
The project is a partnership between the Status of Women’s Office, the Ministry of Corrections and Policing, Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan and RPS.
“Obviously, this by itself isn’t going to reduce the number of women who are victimized by sexual assault and trauma. I think what’s really important in this is the cooperative relationship,” said Tina Beaudry-Mellor, minister responsible for the status of women.
“It’s exactly the kind of coordinated approach that we need to get at the really high interpersonal violence and abuse rates that exist in the province.”
The project will be funded with $122,000 from the Ministry of Corrections and Policing and the Status of Women’s Office. Included in that funding, is the creation of a new coordinator position within Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan for the project.
“It will require the police service to be very transparent with their investigation. The individuals doing the reviews will have access to police files, officer notes, videotaped interviews, all of it,” said Lisa Miller, executive director of the Regina Sexual Assault Centre.
Miller said the partners involved in the project are still developing specific criteria to determine what to look for in the reviewed materials.
Chief Bray said he hopes the project will increase transparency while helping frontline Regina police develop better investigative techniques.
“If you tell me the report I’m writing is going to be reviewed by a group of experts, that’s going to enhance it. When we get that feedback from that group that’s going to make me better as an officer as well,” Bray said.
RPS will prepare for the pilot under the training of Canadian Philadelphia Model expert Sunny Mariner.
Mariner advocated and helped implement the system in Ottawa. Bray said the first review meeting could be conducted as early as July.