Cook County SART Program

The Sexual Crimes Prosecution Unit of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office has collaborated with the Chicago Police Department, the advocacy community, the medical community, and the Illinois State Police Crime Lab to form Cook County's first Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) to address the overwhelming problem of sexual assault in our community.

The Cook County SART Program is scheduled to begin in September 2003. The SART Program will train nurses as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) to handle sexual assault trauma, and its recording for legal purposes. The nurses will provide victims efficient, effective and quality assistance during the crucial, and extremely emotional, stages of sexual assault. Proper data collection obtained directly after the sexual assault greatly increases the likelihood of prosecution. Emergency rooms and doctor's offices with SANE trained nurses greatly improve the quality of our prosecutions that can hold violent offenders accountable for their actions, and increase the rate of prosecutions for this terrible crime.

It is anticipated that the SART program will touch the lives of over 800 sexual assault survivors each year, and increase reporting incidences for those victims who would otherwise be reluctant to report based on their experiences in emergency rooms without the SART Program.

I appreciate your consideration in this important project. Linking of resources, websites included, are crucial to provide positive, helpful, and vital information to the victims of this crime.

Please contact me at 773-869-6492 with any questions. I look forward to working with your organization.

Sincerely,

Shauna Boliker
Chief, Sexual Crimes Prosecution Unit
Cook County State's Attorney