20150202-114524-49

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is seeking technical assistance in creating and designing an investigative database for the Wayne County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force (WCSAKTF). The grant would provide for an expert in data analysis and database management to aid in the merging of several existing databases created and maintained by law enforcement, prosecutors, and lab personnel.
The expert would aid the WCSAKTF in identifying and subsequently developing best practices in data driven investigation (and subsequent prosecution) of cases arising not only out of untested SAKs, but other crimes. The work would build on existing research and evidence based strategies developed to address over 11,000 untested SAKs in Detroit to help identify and address operational needs. The work would foster the sharing of information between multiple agencies and ensure their continued collaboration in addressing these cases.
An expert in data analysis and database management is necessary to begin this process. Expert knowledge is required to identify and address operational and programmatic needs for the creation and maintenance of a single collaborative investigative database. An expert would also determine the most efficient way to achieve the goal, by expansion of an existing database, merging several databases, creating a new database, or by linking the databases. The expert could potentially complete the process of merging and creating the database during the term of the project.
The problem of untested SAKs is not unique to the City of Detroit. It is hoped that the protocols, investigative techniques, and the investigative database developed by the WCSAKTF could be used as a model throughout the country. The creation of a collaborative investigation database would also allow the collection and tracking of data that should be invaluable for additional academic research on sexual assault investigations.