Sexual violence is a traumatic crime. To reduce further victimization caused by the Criminal Justice system, the RCMP are dedicated to developing more compassionate approaches to the investigatory process.

In July of 2020, the Red Deer RCMP created a new Sex Crimes Unit to investigate crimes of a sexual nature that are particularly heinous or violent, including those perpetrated against children. The goal of the unit is to provide trauma-informed, victim-centred service to survivors of sexual violence. These services include:

The Third Option Program:

This program allows survivors of sexual assault to have evidence collected by trained Sexual Assault Nurses who store the evidence for up to one year. During this time, the victim has the opportunity to decide if they feel comfortable reporting to police.

The Supportive Reporting Program: 

This program is offered to survivors of historical sexual assault that never reported the incident(s). The RCMP works with the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC), to arrange for a trauma-informed, plain clothes police officer to meet the client at a non-police location. There, we discuss options for reporting the crime, providing a statement and initiating an investigation. The CASASC support worker is able to stay and support the client throughout the entire process.

To offer these services to survivors, the unit collaborates with a number of agencies including the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre, Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre, Southern Alberta Integrated Child Exploitation Unit, and the Red Deer Hospital Sexual Assault Response Team.

If you are a victim of sexual violence, or are concerned for the safety of someone else, make the call: Dial 9-1-1 for emergencies or the Police non-emergency line at 403-406-2200.

Community Resources:

Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre: https://www.centralalbertacac.ca/

Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre https://casasc.ca/