Agenda Item Request:
title
Authorization for the District Attorney’s Office to Become a Certified Law Enforcement Agency and Approval of a New Investigator Position funded by the Sex Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), Requested by DA Sartoris.
body
Background and Purpose of Request:
Requestor: Jacqueline Sartoris, District Attorney
The SAKI (“Sex Assault Kit Initiative”) federal grant which was accepted by the Commissioners in FY 2024-25 requires the hiring of a law enforcement Sex Assault Investigator. We initially envisioned hiring that Investigator through CCSO, and created a joint MOU to that effect.
Subsequently, following advice and information from the Sheriff’s Office and other DA Offices, we discovered that several DAs (i.e., York County, at least 3 others) directly hire their Investigators (generally these are Domestic Violence Investigators). This enables clearer oversight than the indirect joint reporting to CCSO and the DA of our current DVI. We believe our ability to hire for this required position will be significantly improved if it is a direct hire through the DA office which will maximize the pool of potential candidates. CCSO is in support of this change.
We are asking the Commissioners to agree that this position will be filled at the DA Office. In addition, we are requesting that the Commissioners authorize the DA office to pursue becoming certified as a Maine law enforcement agency. My staff has researched this with other DA offices and the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. Certification is straightforward and does not require additional funds, and we believe this is the best way to fill this required position.
Funding Amount and Source:
There is no impact to any County budget, nor to the SAKI budget. Approximately $379,242 for salary and benefits over 3 years from the Federal SAKI grant previously allocated for this position. This number does not include the budgeted amount for equipment and supplies related to this position, which is also funded through the Federal SAKI grant.
Effective Date if Applicable: Immediate. However, we will need to advertise and interview to fill the position, which is expected to take at least 4 weeks.