London, Ont. police have launched a pilot project for a new online tool that allows individuals to report sexual assault or sexual violence anonymously.
The tool, an app called “Speak Out,” is available to people aged 18 or older to report incidents that took place in London or Barrie.
Police say the app will hopefully allow them to gain a better understanding of sexual violence occurring in London and could help in investigating ongoing or future sexual assaults.
Det. Sgt. Katherine Dann, head of the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section of the London police, says the anonymity gives another avenue to report.
“We know that sexual assaults often go unreported, and some victims and survivors are not comfortable coming to police or reporting under their name,” says Dann, adding only around six per cent of sexual assaults are reported to the police.
Individuals reporting on Speak Out will not be filing an official police report. Instead, the anonymous information will be sent to the London Police Service Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section and Crime Analysis Unit to assist in identifying any trends or commonalities.
“This allows those who are hesitant to participate in a formal police investigation to still tell their story without having to provide their name,” said Dann.
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While no arrests or charges can be made based on reports filed with Speak Out, Dann says having a better understanding and more data on what is happening in the city is crucial.
“For instance, if we are able to identify a trend such as multiple incidents occurring at a specific location, then we can look at doing crime prevention strategies at that location,” Dann said.
Barrie police developed the app and have been using it since 2021. Dann says Barrie was looking for another police service to use the system and reached out to London about trying it. While the pilot project is scheduled to run for one year, Dann says the hope is to continue using it longer.
Individuals filing a report will be provided with a reference code in case they wish to go back and add more to the report or decide to file a formal report in the future.
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