How Data Can Help in the Fight Against Sexual Assault

Though law enforcement often does its best to handle sexual assault cases responsibly and fight for justice for survivors, police departments routinely destroy or lose rape kits before the statute of limitations expires, are unable to provide survivors with basic information about their cases, and allow biases and myths about sexual assault to negatively influence their investigations. Police could easily remedy these and other problems by improving how they collect, manage, and use data, but technical, policy, and cultural obstacles prevent them from better utilizing data at every stage of their processes. Now that the Obama administration’s Police Data Initiative is increasing attention to the value of data for improving policing practices and promoting accountability and transparency around issues such as police use of force and discrimination, the stage is set to leverage data to ensure the criminal justice system better serves sexual assault survivors.

Join ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation and Rise, a civil rights nonprofit leading federal and state state efforts to implement legislation to protect the rights of sexual assault survivors, for a panel discussion on how policymakers and law enforcement can develop data-driven policies and practices to help in the fight against sexual assault and improve the lives of survivors.