Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and law enforcement personnel stood shoulder to shoulder Thursday morning and promised to do a better job investigating sex crimes and working with victims.
Choi and leaders from nine police agencies, including St. Paul, Maplewood, Roseville and the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, signed the new "Sexual Assault Response Collaboration" agreement.
The seven-page document lays out changes starting from the moment a victim first calls police through investigation, charging and conviction.
"What we are really doing is making a promise to the public and to our victims that we can indeed do better," Choi said.
Among the most dramatic changes: All patrol officers in the county will go through specialized training for responding to sex crimes.
Victim advocates are now reaching out to sex crimes complainants rather than waiting to be contacted. Victim advocates are now in the room offering support during police interviews.
Police have committed to more rigorously investigating cases, including scouring social media and text messages, collecting more physical evidence and conducting more forensic exams. Police say they will interview more witnesses and vowed to interview victims in person when possible.
"At the onset of the investigation, we are collecting as much evidence as we can," said Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Kaarin Long, who is leading the efforts in the prosecutor's office. "When we have that additional evidence, that makes a huge difference with juries."