2019-148 Sexual Assault and Victims Services CoordinatorsDate: July 19, 2019 Report No. 2019-148
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Analysis of sexual assault data over the past five years and an overview of the Denton Police Department Victims’ Service Counselors
DISCUSSION:
On Tuesday, May 28, 2019, Council Member Armintor requested a map and associated data on
reported sexual assaults that have occurred in Denton over the past five years and information on
resource needs for Denton Police Department Victims’ Service Counselors. Council Member Armintor also requested information regarding the number of reported sexual assaults that involved a pedestrian being forcibly taken from the street.
Sexual Assault Data
790 total sexual assault offenses occurred from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019. The table below lists the number of sexual assaults reported by month dating back to January 2014.
Of the 790 offenses that were reported, staff confirmed that two involved a pedestrian being forcibly taken from the street. One offense occurred on April 18, 2015, at 2201 Stella Street involving a victim who was forcibly taken from the parking lot and assaulted at the scene. The second offense was reported on June 7, 2018. While the second offense was reported in 2018, it was filed as having occurred in 2015 at 215 W. Hickory.
A map of the 790 reported offenses dating back to January 2014 is listed on the next page.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
2014 5 17 14 8 15 13 8 13 14 7 12 6 132
2015 7 9 8 15 13 12 11 14 8 6 10 11 124
2016 8 13 9 9 8 10 7 8 13 14 18 11 128
2017 11 17 4 9 18 11 19 20 11 14 8 8 150
2018 5 9 10 12 15 13 17 22 15 10 16 17 161
2019 14 23 22 14 10 12 95
Total 50 88 67 67 79 71 62 77 61 51 64 53 790
SEXUAL ASSAULTS 1-1-2014 to 6-30-2019
Date: July 19, 2019 Report No. 2019-148
Victims’ Services Counselors
Since 1997, the Denton Police Department (DPD) has maintained a Victim’s Services Coordinator position, staffed by a single employee. The primary duties of this position include immediate and
short-term counseling, referral to other service providers, traumatic event notification, and coordination of compensation for crime victims. Currently, DPD participates in a grant-funded partnership with Friends of the Family to provide comprehensive services to adult victims of both
Date: July 19, 2019 Report No. 2019-148
family violence and sexual assault. The current grant program with Friends of the Family will sunset on September 20, 2019.
DPD has gained an additional grant-funded Victims’ Services Coordinator position with the new staff member beginning on July 22, 2019. This grant is entitled the Victim Assistance Coordinator Grant and is issued by the U.S. Department of Justice through the State of Texas, Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division to the City of Denton. Forty candidates applied for the new
position with three finalists being selected to participate in an interview board process. The
candidate chosen is named Constanza Johnson and she comes to DPD from Mosaic Family Services of Dallas. Ms. Johnson is highly experienced in victim advocacy. She holds a Master of Social Work and is fluent in Spanish.
With the addition of a new staff member, and the end of the grant for comprehensive services with
Friends of the Family, DPD will re-evaluate the provision of victims’ services and will begin transitioning to a more active role regarding initial short-term counseling and referrals to other services. This re-evaluation will include a formal staffing study (which is part of DPD’s larger staffing assessment efforts) that, in tandem with the revised service model will help DPD better
respond to and prepare for the growth of the community.
STAFF CONTACT: Bobby Smith
Assistant Chief of Police
Bobby.Smith@cityofdenton.com
REQUESTOR: Council Member Armintor
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS: Denton Police Department
STAFF TIME TO COMPLETE REPORT: Approximately 30 hours