SLCPD Law Enforcement Guide for Victims of Sexual Assault

To help survivors report their experiences and to help them access information and resources.

Rape and sexual assault are serious offenses. The Salt Lake City Police Department knows these types of crimes are often underreported for various reasons, including the fear of retaliation, revictimization, or concerns about how the case will be handled. The Salt Lake City Police Department has a specialized unit dedicated to investigating rapes and sexual assaults. The department’s Special Victims Unit works closely with SLCPD Victim Advocates to offer survivor-centered, trauma-informed care throughout the duration of a criminal investigation. Choosing to file a police report with law enforcement about a sexual assault is a deeply personal decision. To help survivors report their experiences and to help them access information and resources, The Salt Lake City Police Department is providing the following information.

Initial reports often start with a call to dispatch:

  • Emergency calls: 9-1-1
  • Non-emergency calls: 801-799-3000

An initial officer will typically respond to the victim’s location to address the following:

  • The health and safety of the victim
  • Preservation and collection of evidence
  • Create a brief report of the crime
  • Gather any information that may help identify the suspect

Medical and forensic examinations may be completed via medical providers:

  • SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners) can collect a sexual assault kit
  • Victim Advocates can be present during a forensic examination
  • If a sexual assault kit is collected it will be given to an officer to book into police evidence
  • Survivors can restrict their kit or track the kit to remain informed about the status

SLCPD Crime Lab Technicians may respond to:

  • Collect evidence
  • Document a crime scene
  • Document injuries to the victim

The case will then move to a follow up Investigations phase:

  • A Sergeant with the Special Victims Unit will assign a Detective
  • Per trauma-informed best practices, the Detective will typically wait for a few days before reaching out to the victim
  • The Detective will conduct any appropriate follow-up interviews and investigative actions
  • The Detective will present cases to the prosecutor for review

Victim Services may be provided at any phase of the case and/or be available throughout the entire case:

  • Prior to reporting
  • At the time an initial report is filed
  • During a forensic or medical exam
  • At the time of a Detective’s follow-up interview
  • During the prosecutor review process
  • During any civil or criminal court processes
  • After the completion of any criminal justice system responses

The Salt Lake City Police Department has a free 24/7 hotline for survivors of crime. Victim advocates are available to help provide support, guidance, resources, and advocacy. To speak with a victim advocate, call 801-580-7969. Callers can call from a blocked number, can provide an alias name, or opt to provide no personal information when calling this number.
Survivors of sexual violence can also access help by contacting the Rape Recovery Center at 801-467-5551 or Utah’s 24 hour sexual violence help line at 1-888-421-1100.

How to access free emergency contraception

How to access law enforcement

  • Non-emergency dispatch for Salt Lake City Police:  801-799-3000
  • SLCPD Victim Advocates 24-hour hotline:  801-580-7969

Information on medical resources:

  • Emergency medical care after a sexual assault can be accessed through local hospitals
  • Forensic SANEs (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners) can respond to perform a sexual assault exam and collect evidence via a sexual assault kit
  • Follow up medical care can be accessed through the Salt Lake Valley Health Department or your medical provider
  • Funds for medical treatment may be available through the Utah Office for Victims of Crime (UOVC).  You can speak to a Victim Advocate at 801-580-7969 or call UOVC at 801-238-2360 for more information.

Information on mental health services:

  • Funds for counseling may be available through the Utah Office for Victims of Crime (UOVC).  You can speak to a Victim Advocate at 801-580-7969 or call UOVC at 801-238-2360 for more information.
  • Community Crisis Intervention & Support Services & MCOT (Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams) 801-587-3000
  • Utah’s 24-hour sexual violence help line:  801-736-4356
  • Dial 988 for crisis help and support
Victims and witnesses of crime have fundamental rights in the criminal justice process to ensure that all victims are treated with dignity, respect, courtesy, and sensitivity. Victims also have the right to privacy. Utah legislation and the state Constitution protects and honors victims’ rights. You can locate these rights in the Utah Constitution, Article 28 and in the Utah Criminal Code at 77-37, 77-38 and 77-38a. There are specific victims’ rights for survivors of sexual violence. For more information about these rights, please contact SLCPD’s Victim Advocates at 801-580-7969.

For additional information about any of these items, please contact a Victim Advocate 24 hours a day at 801-580-7969.  Callers can call from a blocked number, use an alias name, and/or opt to provide no personal information when calling this number.

Please see the table below for the number of sexual assault offenses (by type) that were reported to SLCPD, investigated by a detective, and referred to a prosecutor in 2024.

Reportable Offenses

Count of Incident Number

Assigned

Screened

Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child

8

8

7

Aggravated Sexual Assault

3

3

3

Forcible Sexual Abuse

60

60

24

Forcible Sodomy

40

40

6

Object Rape

26

26

15

Object Rape of a Child*

0

0

0

Rape

255

251

56

Rape of a Child

7

7

2

Sexual Abuse of a Child

51

49

9

Sexual Battery

75

71

22

Sodomy on a Child

4

4

4

Grand Total

529

519

148

*We do not have any cases where the only crime reported was object rape of a child, however object rape of a child could be an offense that was investigated with other sexual offenses against a child.

We certify that we have created and publicly posted on our SLCPD website the following:

  • Our agency’s sexual assault policy as per 53-24-101(1)
  • Our agency’s guide for sexual assault victims as per 53-24-101(2)
  • Our agency’s 2024 statistical report as per 53-25-202(2)

The difference in the number of occurrences compared to assigned cases may be impacted by any of the following:

  • Cases where a victim restricted their forensic kit and requested that no investigation be initiated
  • Cases that were reported in SLC but determined to have occurred in another jurisdiction
  • Cases that were alarming but did not meet the elements of a crime
  • Cases where a third party reported an event without the victim’s participation in reporting
  • Cases where a reported criminal event fell outside of the statute of limitations

The difference in the number of assigned cases compared to screened cases may be impacted by any of the following:

  • Cases where an offender was identified but is deceased
  • Cases where an investigation was conducted but an offender was not identified
  • Cases that were reported to have occurred in SLC but after investigation were determined to have occurred in another jurisdiction
  • Cases that did not meet the elements of a crime
  • Cases that were reported near the end of the calendar year and the investigation continued into the next calendar year
  • Cases where an allegation was reported by a third party, but the adult victim did not disclose a crime
  • Cases where an adult believed that a child may have been harmed, but the child did not disclose any abuse
  • Cases that were waiting for forensic evidence to be processed
  • Cases where a victim restricted their forensic kit during the investigation phase
  • Cases where a victim elected to do a non-interview report at the time of a forensic exam
  • Cases where a victim does not have recollection of a specific crime but would like an investigation to help determine what may have happened to them while they were unconscious, intoxicated, etc.
  • Cases where a victim initially reported the crime, but could not be located again during the investigation phase
  • Cases where a victim asked for the case to be inactivated for a period of time
  • Cases where the investigation determines that a criminal event fell outside of the statute of limitations
  • Cases where a victim asked for the case to be closed and not submitted for prosecution
Click here for Salt Lake City Police Department's Policy 602 on Sexual Assault Investigations.