Department: Office of Justice and Safety
Department Head/Elected Official: Mr. Perrye Turner
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval to replace Jamie Burro with Tiffany Larsen on the Harris County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
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Background and Discussion:
On October 12, 2021, Commissioners Court approved a motion instructing the Office of Justice and Safety (OJS) [then the Justice Administration Department (JAD)] to coordinate with all relevant stakeholders necessary to form a Harris County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) in full compliance with SB 476. The report and candidates for the inaugural SART were presented to Commissioners Court on November 9, 2021, and unanimously approved.
However, due to the change in responsibilities of one of the named members, a new representative from HCDAO needs to be appointed and approved by the Commissioners Court. The request is to replace current member Jamie Burro with Tiffany Larsen.
Tiffany Larsen is the Chief of Adult Sex Crimes for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. She has been a prosecutor at the HCDAO since 2010 and is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University and the University of Texas School of Law. Tiffany is a current member of the Governor’s Sexual Assault Survivor’s Task Force and a former member of the Attorney General’s Evidence Collection Protocol Task Force for sexual assault nurse examiners. Tiffany has previously served in the Family Criminal Law, Crimes Against Children, Appellate, and Civil Rights Divisions of the HCDAO.
Expected Impact:
Compliance with SB 476. No anticipated impact on the SART itself.
Alternative Options:
Not changing the name of the HCDAO representative on the SART.
Alignment with Goal(s):
X Justice and Safety
_ Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
_ Flooding
_ Environment
_ Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
10/23/21 |
231 |
JAD be instructed to coordinate with all relevant stake holders necessary to form a Harris County Secual Assault Response Team in full compliance with SB 476. |
11/9/21 |
132 |
Unanimously approved, the SART was created. |
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Additional Budget Requested |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
Current Position Count for Service |
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Additional Positions Requested |
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Anticipated Court Date: May 16, 2023
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Dr. Veronyka James, Survivor of Crime Researcher/Specialist, Office of Justice and Safety
Attachments (if applicable):
Original Memo presented at Court, which provides a discussion of the incidents of sexual assault nationwide and in Texas; a description of what sexual assault response teams (SARTs) are and what they do; a description of Senate Bill 476; the requirements of this bill and the duties of the SART; a list of candidates for this inaugural SART; and the next steps, with a timeline, for the SART.
The new list of approved members of the SART if this motion is approved.