BCA announces new guidance for sexual assault investigations

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced new guidelines for law enforcement officers investigating sexual assaults — the first comprehensive guide of its kind for law enforcement in Minnesota.

BCA Superintendent Drew Evans announced the new guide Wednesday, Sept. 23, at a news conference in St. Paul.

“This is a statewide resource designed to help law enforcement conduct sexual assault investigations with sensitivity, accuracy, professionalism, and consistency,” Evans said.

Data provided by local law enforcement show that more than 2,000 people in Minnesota experienced sexual assault last year. The BCA reported that investigations into those incidents were conducted by more than 200 different law enforcement agencies.

The work to develop the guidance was funded by a Bureau of Justice Assistance Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant. A decade ago, a KARE11 investigation revealed thousands of destroyed or untested assault kits collected by departments across the state. This led to legislative changes and improvements to the testing process, although the backlog wasn’t complete until 2023.

These additional guidelines aim to help bring uniformity and consistency to sexual assault investigations.

“Wherever a sexual assault is reported in our state, survivors deserve a professional, compassionate, thorough response grounded in best practices with a victim-centered approach," Evans said. "This work is focused on one main goal: that's supporting the survivor of sexual assault.”

The guide includes tools and information agencies can use during investigations, including specific investigative practices for law enforcement and prosecutors. Although not mandatory, the recommendations are related to victim support, evidence collection and post-conviction steps.