Special Victims Units

Defining Special Victims Units

Law enforcement agencies across the country have started organizing Special Victims Units in an effort to centralize the investigation and prosecution of sensitive cases that include, but are not limited to, sex crimes, child abuse, domestic violence, missing persons, stalking, and the exploitation and abuse of the elderly. In addition to investigating both adult and child sex crimes, some Special Victims Units are also responsible for investigating crimes in which sex offenders have failed to comply with registration and/or community notification statutes. For example, in Polk County, Florida, a Special Victims Response Team (SVRT) has been organized and is responsible for locating and arresting those offenders who have failed to comply with requirements set forth in sex offender statutes. In New York City, a similar unit called the Sex Offender Monitoring Unit, a division of the Special Victims Unit, is the designated department for tracking sex offenders.

The Mission of Special Victims Units

The mission of Special Victims Units is to conduct a thorough and efficient investigation while protecting the physical and emotional needs of the victim. These units employ a multidisciplinary, multijurisdictional approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases to help limit the possibility of revictimization. Partners in this endeavor often include specialized forensic hospital personnel, such as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) or Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs), mental health professionals, Children's Services, and victim advocate agencies. This collaborative approach minimizes additional trauma to the victim while enhancing investigative procedures.

The minimization of additional trauma is achieved through joint interviews, where a detective, assistant district attorney, social worker, and/or psychologist may be present while the interview is conducted. In these cases, while one person is doing the interview, the other parties are observing through a one-way mirror. These procedures not only minimize the revictimization produced when the individual has to recount the traumatic experience, but also help to limit problems, such as confusion and inconsistent testimony associated with having to repeatedly recount a painful experience. In addition, incorporating specialized forensic examiners, such as SANEs or SAFEs, significantly improves the collection of physical evidence, ultimately leading to improved prosecutions.

Where are Special Victims Units Located?

Special Victims Units are usually located within larger police departments, especially in major cities where there is a need for specialized units in direct relation to crime rates. These units investigate cases that result from citizen complaints, as well as referrals from county and state law enforcement departments, child protective services, and social service agencies. There are many benefits to having these centralized and specialized units, including improved and more efficient communication between investigators, better tracking and speedier recognition when similar or serial crimes are occurring, standardization of procedures, and fewer jurisdictional issues.

Who Works in Special Victims Units?

These units are often composed of detectives in partnership with prosecutors, social workers, psychologists, and advocates who have and continue to receive specialized training in investigating and working with victims of violent crime. Although the training varies by police department and victim typology, examples of specialized training include interviewing and interrogation techniques, procedural requirements, and evidence collection. Interviewing techniques vary according to whether the investigator is working with the victim, witnesses, hospital personnel, responding officers, or the suspect. The interviewing process also varies greatly depending on victim type; for example, children and elderly individuals should be interviewed in very different manners. In all cases, victims need to feel safe and comfortable during the investigative process. Victims comprise the most important evidence in these types of cases, and therefore, establishing good rapport is essential. Additional training can assist in this endeavor.

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