Local level SAEC policies/data (Crockett County, TX)

To Whom It May Concern:

This email is in response to your request for information from the Crockett
County Sheriff's Office.

Information requested:

Any and all statistics, data, reports, audits, policies, and procedures
pertaining to the following items regarding sexual assault evidence
collection (SAEC) kits (also known as "rape kits") and processing: all
standard operating procedures regarding the SAEC process any written
policies or procedures regarding department practices on the acquisition of
or handling of rape kit evidence, including protocols for its collection,
testing, and delegation and transfer to all other possibly relevant
locations, laboratories, or agencies the number of kits collected and booked
into evidence from the period of January 1, 2000 through the date this
request is processed the number of kits that have been processed by a public
or private crime or forensic laboratory or equivalent processing location
from the period of January 1, 2000 through the date this request is
processed the number of unprocessed kits in any storage facilities currently
under the department's jurisdiction and control, including those held by
medical personnel or at external laboratory locations any materials
regarding the status or ultimate disposition of cases in which a kit was
collected. Please include all available segregable data. all audits
involving this agency regarding the collection or backlog of SAEC kits all
proposed alterations or yet-to-be-implemented changes to the policies and
procedures regarding the collection, testing, and use of SAEC kits The
requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this
request is not being made for commercial purposes. In the event that there
are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in
advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled
electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Response:

The Crockett County Sheriff's Office has reviewed its files and records and
do not currently have any written policies or procedures on handling Sexual
Assault Complaints or Sexual Assault Nurse Examination kits (SANE kits).
However, the Crockett County Sheriff's Office has a general procedure which
is used when handling these type of cases. In addition, the below
information is also in response to your request:

There have been 15 kits collected and booked into evidence for the period of
January 1, 2000 through the date this request is processed.

The number of confirmed kits that have been processed by a public or private
crime or forensic laboratory or equivalent processing location from the
period of January 1, 2000 through the date this request is processed has
been approximately 2.

The number of unprocessed kits in any storage facilities currently under the
department's jurisdiction and control, including those held by medical
personnel or at external laboratory locations is approximately 13.

Please be advised that at this time the Crockett County Sheriff's Office is
unable to verify the accuracy of the data due the lack of a property and
evidence management system other than a paper log / computer log.

The status or ultimate disposition of cases in which a kit was collected is
only tracked on a case by case basis. There is no report that will provide
the status for all cases at once.

There are no records or documents for an audit involving the collection or
backlog of SAEC/SANE Kits.

The Crockett County Sheriff's Office is currently in the process of
implementing QueTel Property Management System for tracking of property and
evidence and will go live with it soon. In addition, the Crockett County
Sheriff's Office is in the process of writing policies and procedures for
handling Sexual Assault Complaints and the collection, testing, and storage
of Sexual Assault Nurse Examination kits (SANE kits).

I hope the above information has successfully completed your request. Our
office has fulfilled your request and have closed it.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at the email
address below.

Respectfully submitted,

Tara Carey

Sheriff Deputy

Crockett County Sheriff's Office

121 S Hwy 163 / P.O. Box 1931

Ozona, Texas 76943

325-392-2661

ccsotcarey@wcc.net