UNITED STATES - APRIL 23: Facade of Dallas County Courthouse, or Old Red Court House, 1892, Dallas, Texas, United States of America. Detail. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)
DALLAS - For the next three years, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and a new Dallas County Cold Case Initiative Project will be funded thanks to two federal grants totaling more than $3.8 million. This funding will help get justice for victims of violent crimes, according to Dallas Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot.
The Dallas Cold Case Initiative Project will be established with a $2.3 million grant. According to Creuzot, the creation of the Cold Case Initiative Project will divide responsibilities between two dedicated units: the SAKI Unit, which will continue to handle cold case sexual assaults, both fatal and non-fatal, and the soon-to-be-formed Cold Case Homicide Unit, which will focus exclusively on unsolved murders.
"This grant money will allow us to apply more resources to solve more violent crimes and solve them faster than ever before," said District Attorney John Creuzot. "This is an incredibly profound time for the people of Dallas County to finally get justice for some of the worst crimes committed against our citizens."
There are more than 3,000 cold-case homicides in Dallas, many of which are believed to have sexual motivation.
The District Attorney's Office will continue to serve as the lead agency to address the backlog of cases. They will work with law enforcement agencies like Dallas Police, the FBI, and the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center.
According to Creuzot, the Cold Case Unit will have a dedicated staff which will include two prosecutors, one investigator, a victim advocate, and a site coordinator.
The SAKI Task Force, formed in 2015, will receive more than $1.5 million in grant funding. Since the task force's formation, it has addressed cold-case sexual assaults by investigating 375 cases, prosecuting 121 cases, and identifying more than 90 serial offenders, accounting for more than 600 victims.
"The SAKI Task Force has been instrumental in ensuring justice for survivors of sexual violence," said ADA Amy Derrick. "These grants affirm our commitment to using every available resource to hold offenders accountable and keep our community safe."
The continuation of the SAKI grant funding will enable the task force to maintain its dedicated personnel, including two investigators, two prosecutors, a victim advocate, and a site coordinator.