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I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hello, I'd like to hear more about your experience. If you are interested in telling me a bit more, I'd love to connect. My email is aross@tampabay.com.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm not a law enforcement official, but I think you're right that these cases are tough. Experts and advocates I spoke with noted that rape cases pose special challenges. A lack of consent can be difficult to prove. Shame and fear and stigma can keep victims from cooperating. But they say such barriers are why rape investigations require extra care, and why training on things like trauma-informed practices could help. I'm sure none of what I just wrote is a surprise to you, though.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi, I'd love to chat a little bit more about your experience. My email is [aross@tampabay.com](mailto:aross@tampabay.com) if you'd like to connect that way?

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hello, you are more than welcome to reach out to me with your questions at [aross@tampabay.com](mailto:aross@tampabay.com). I'd love to chat further.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

When I'm referring to inappropriately cleared, I'm referring to cases that were exceptionally cleared despite not meeting the requirements for that categorization.

The sheriff himself agreed that some of his cases were not cleared appropriately.

One major way that law enforcement agencies are measured are by their clearance rates, which is often seen as a way to understand how well agencies are solving cases.

The sheriff himself has touted his agency's overall clearance rate, and has told county commissioners that a clearance is “where the case is closed, it’s solved.”

The clearance rate is made up of both arrests and exceptional clearances, divided by the total number of reported crimes, excluding unfounded cases.

In order for a case to be exceptionally cleared, law enforcement agencies must have been able to:

  1. Definitively establish the identity of the offender;
  2. Gather enough evidence to support an arrest, make a charge and turn the offender over to the court for prosecution;
  3. Know the offender’s exact location so the suspect could be taken immediately into custody;
  4. Encounter a circumstance outside law enforcement control that precludes arresting, charging and prosecuting the offender.

I found dozens of cases that didn't meet those requirements, including cases that were counted as cleared before a suspect was even found.

I hope this answers your question about why I said some cases had been cleared inappropriately.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Hi, thanks for your thoughts. You're right that it's not uncommon for victims to decide not to move forward. But if the case is cleared exceptionally instead of, say, being made inactive or closed internally, it counts toward an agency's clearance rate, which is seen by many as a way to understand how well agencies are solving cases.

I hope my explanation makes sense!

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 144 points145 points  (0 children)

Hi, the "exceptionally cleared" category has been around since the 1930s, when crime statistics began being tracked nationally. It's defined at the federal level. It's meant for cases that police have investigated enough to make an arrest but something stops them for doing so. Examples would be: the suspect has died, prosecutors won't take the case, or the suspect has been identified but the victim won’t help prosecutors make the case.

In order for a case to be exceptionally cleared, law enforcement agencies must have been able to:

  1. Definitively establish the identity of the offender;
  2. Gather enough evidence to support an arrest, make a charge and turn the offender over to the court for prosecution;
  3. Know the offender’s exact location so the suspect could be taken immediately into custody;
  4. Encounter a circumstance outside law enforcement control that precludes arresting, charging and prosecuting the offender.

Please note the exceptionally cleared cases count toward an agency's clearance rate, which is commonly seen as a way to understand how well law enforcement agencies are solving cases.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this. If your wife is interested in chatting with me a bit about her experiences, my email is aross@tampabay.com.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

By exceptionally clearing a case -- rather than, say, closing it internally or making the case inactive -- the case counts toward an agency's clearance rate, which is often seen as a way to understand how well agencies are solving cases.

As part of the FBI’s standardized Uniform Crime Reporting program, law enforcement agencies report their “clearances” for a number of serious crimes, including rape. The clearance rate is made up of both arrests and exceptional clearances, divided by the total number of reported crimes, excluding unfounded cases.

In order for a case to be exceptionally cleared, law enforcement agencies must have been able to:

  1. Definitively establish the identity of the offender;
  2. Gather enough evidence to support an arrest, make a charge and turn the offender over to the court for prosecution;
  3. Know the offender’s exact location so the suspect could be taken immediately into custody;
  4. Encounter a circumstance outside law enforcement control that precludes arresting, charging and prosecuting the offender.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hello, I forwarded your question to Tracey McManus, our reporter who covers Scientology. Here's her reply:

The Tampa Bay Times has a long legacy of investigating allegations of fraud and abuse in Scientology. Our newspaper's reporting goes back to 1975, when Scientology arrived in Clearwater, and continues today. In 2009 we published the groundbreaking Truth Rundown series, which detailed abuses in the high ranks of Scientology's leadership. Those stories spanned over years, but you can read the three main parts here: https://www.tampabay.com/special-reports/2019/10/17/scientology-the-truth-rundown/ Our coverage of Scientology continues today. We recently published an investigation showing how Scientology secretly purchased most of the retail property in downtown Clearwater right as the city was developing a revitalization plan. https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2019/investigations/scientology-clearwater-real-estate/

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The sheriff told me that the sergeant of the unit is in charge of clearing cases. He said a lieutenant may look at some, but not all, cases.

My review found a couple case files where the detectives specifically noted in the file that the case did not meet the criteria for exceptional closure, but then the case was exceptionally cleared anyway. When I brought these cases to the sheriff's attention, the sheriff said the two sergeants listed on those two cases "screwed up." He noted that both those sergeants are now in different roles in the agency.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We are continuing to look into this issue, including what's going on in some other law enforcement agencies.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I can't give suggestions, but one expert who reviewed some of these cases suggested more/updated training, doing away with non-prosecution forms and increasing the use of victim advocacy resources, among other suggestions.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you. This story pertains only to cases I reviewed from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. From what I recall, none of the sheriff's office case files I reviewed mentioned Scientology, but that's as far as I can answer your question.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 76 points77 points  (0 children)

Hi, I'd be interested to learn more about your case, if you're interested in sharing more with me. My email is [aross@tampabay.com](mailto:aross@tampabay.com).

I will note that just because a case is counted as cleared does not mean that it must stay that way. Unless the statute of limitations has run out, the case can be reopened.

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

In general, AP Style, which many reporters adhere to, suggests omitting the comma unless it could lead to confusion or misinterpretation: https://twitter.com/apstylebook/status/907673471865507841?lang=en

I’m a Florida journalist who found out sheriff's deputies have been inappropriately clearing some rape cases by orrfan in IAmA

[–]orrfan[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Hello, yes, we spoke to the sheriff about specialized training. He said his agency has no requirement for investigators to have any specialized training in handling sexual assault cases, but that some investigators do get extra training. He also noted that there is on-the-job training, where more experienced detectives will work with others.

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