2021 CCSO Year In Review - Flipbook - Page 14
CC SO 2021 Ye ar in R e v ie w
•
Investigations
The Adult Sex Crimes Unit is one of several teams
operating out of A Safe Place Family Justice Center.
For more information on A Safe Place, see page 29.
Adult
‘We’ve seen
great results in
consolidating family
violence services
under one roof.
Bringing dedicated
sexual assault
detectives
under that roof
strengthens our
ability to support
victims and hold
offenders
accountable.’
SHERIFF
BRANDENBURG
14
SEX CRIMES UNIT
E
mploying three full-time detectives, the Adult Sex Crimes Unit
exclusively investigates cases involving victims of sexual
assault ages 16 and older. This dedicated team of investigators
operates out of A Safe Place Family Justice Center in Oregon City.
Prior to the unit’s founding, sexual-assault
cases involving adults were handled by CCSO’s
Homicide and Violent Crimes Unit (HVCU). HVCU
investigates suspicious deaths, homicides, missing
persons, kidnappings, serious assaults, robberies
and other violent crimes. But statistical analysis
showed that nearly half of HVCU’s caseload
involved sex crimes.
offers victims an environment where they can
receive those supportive services, heal from
trauma, and move forward in their lives.”
Sheriff Brandenburg said basing the new unit in
A Safe Place has served to break down barriers:
“Our goal is for victims to feel safe when reporting
sexual assault, surrounded by the support they
need to hold offenders accountable. A Safe Place
Adult Sex Crimes detectives receive
focused training on advanced topics, including
trauma-informed interviewing and maintaining
wellness as they work emotionally challenging
caseloads.
A dedicated investigative team also improves
efficiency. For instance, one detective in the unit
is assigned to track SAFE kits, avoiding potential
delays in rape-kit processing.
