Joshau New – Center for Data Innovation: “In Baltimore, sexual assault survivors have little reason to believe they will see justice, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). DOJ found that the Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) “systematically under-investigates” sexual assault, in particular by dismissing sexual assault reports, allowing overt gender bias to influence their decisions, and, perhaps most alarmingly, failing to even test 85 percent of rape kits—valuable DNA evidence that could help identify criminals. Unfortunately, the report’s findings should come as no surprise, as not only did BPD draw criticism for these same issues in 2010, but routine mishandling of sexual assault investigations is unsettlingly common throughout the United States. While there are many systemic reasons contributing to why police departments often handle sexual assault cases so poorly, many of these shortcomings—mismanaging evidence, a lack of accountability and transparency, and uninformed decision-making—could be substantially improved through better use of data. Just as the spate of police violence around the country prompted the Obama administration to launch the Police Data Initiative to restore public trust and improve policing practices related to police use of force and discrimination, the DOJ report should serve as a call to action for local, state, and federal lawmakers to use data to improve how police respond to sexual assault and treat survivors.”