Minnesota implements sexual assault investigation guidelines for law enforcement
Sept. 23, 2026
ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) today announced the implementation of the Minnesota Guide to Sexual Assault Investigations, a statewide resource designed to support law enforcement officers as they investigate sexual assault cases and respond to survivors.
These guidelines for criminal justice agencies include specific investigative practices for law enforcement and prosecutors including victim support, evidence collection, post-conviction steps and much more. Recommendations in this guide are offered to support consistent and quality sexual assault investigations across Minnesota.
“One of the goals of this guide is to promote consistency in investigative practices to improve outcomes for survivors, regardless of where in Minnesota an incident occurs,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “It provides law enforcement across Minnesota with guidelines to help ensure survivors receive a consistent, compassionate and professional response.”
Incidents of sexual assault have seen a mostly steady decline over the past five years. According to Minnesota Crime Data Explorer information provided by local law enforcement, 2,211 people in Minnesota were victims of sexual assault in 2025. The investigations into those incidents were conducted by 213 different Minnesota law enforcement agencies.
The BCA has also incorporated these guidelines into existing sexual assault investigation training for Minnesota law enforcement agencies. These are the first comprehensive sexual assault investigation guidelines for law enforcement in Minnesota.
“I applaud the Minnesota BCA for their collaboration to create statewide guidance for sexual assault investigations that will establish uniform best practices for all police agencies in Minnesota,” Ramsey County John Choi said. “This is a much-needed publication, but more importantly, more resources and leadership are required by others as next steps for continuous improvement in how we best serve victim/survivors and hold offenders accountable. A stronger commitment to adequate staffing and training and prioritization of improved sexual assault responses from everyone involved after someone has been harmed is where we, as responders, can make a real impact for sexual assault victim/survivors.”
“Creating guidelines for sexual assault investigations is one step in supporting victims of this terrible crime,“ St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said. “I’m grateful for the work our investigators with the Saint Paul Police Department, the Minnesota BCA, and all other agencies put into developing these guidelines.”
The BCA developed these guidelines in partnership with several other organizations including:
- St. Paul Police Department
- Ramsey County Attorney’s Office
- Hennepin County Attorney’s Office
- Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center
- Midwest Children’s Resource Center
- Allina Forensic Nursing Program
- Hennepin Assault Response Team, Hennepin Healthcare
- HealthPartners Medical Forensic Team
- Sexual Violence Center
- Ramsey County SOS Sexual Violence Services
- Minnesota Sex Crimes Investigators Association
“The Minnesota Sex Crimes Investigators Association has always maintained a strong commitment to serving victims of sexual assault and providing quality training and resources to law enforcement professionals and civilian partners throughout the state,” said Bloomington Police Detective Kristin Boomer, president of the Minnesota Sex Crimes Investigators Association. “This collaborative effort highlights some of the important work our association continues to accomplish in support of victims, investigators, civilian partners and the communities we serve.”
The guidelines were developed using a Bureau of Justice Assistance Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Grant received by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Justice Programs to improve law enforcement response to sexual assault through a victim-centered approach.
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