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There is almost zero data on police-involved sexual assaults, but what little data we do have is bad. According to research from Bowling Green State University, police officers were charged with 405 forcible rapes between 2005 and 2013. That means, of course, that there is no data about police who have not been charged. Few victims are willing to come forward for obvious reasons––who are you going to report a police rape to? The police? The article suggests some possibilities for improvement:

• Policies “to make victims feel safe,” Stinson said, which could include online or anonymous reporting and special officers trained in dealing with sexual assault victims

• GPS tracking of officers, especially those with take-home vehicles, and monitoring of officers. If a supervisor notices a patrolman predominantly stops women between the ages of 18 and 30 at the same time of night in the same part of town, it would raise red flags

• Rules forbidding departments from hiring officers who were fired from other agencies, which happens too frequently, Stamper said

• Mandates that officers must activate their bodycams and dash cams and be punished if they don’t. (This will actually vindicate officers more often than not, experts say)

• Occasional sting operations, involving internal affairs, aimed at ensuring police officers are appropriately interacting with the public

Full story at CNN.

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