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File #: 23-2650    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Policy Status: Passed
File created: 5/2/2023 In control: Commissioners Court
On agenda: 5/16/2023 Final action: 5/16/2023
Title: Request for approval to replace Jamie Burro with Tiffany Larsen on the Harris County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
Attachments: 1. SART RCA Backup docs

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):

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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.

 

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Precinct(s): Countywide

 

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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.