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Val Verde County panel accepts SART report, court approves submission to state
Summary
District Attorney Suzanne West and local advocates presented the county's biennial Sexual Assault Response Team report, citing limited local resources for adult survivors and requesting support; the commissioners approved submission of the report to the state and thanked team members for interagency work.
District Attorney Suzanne West presented Val Verde County’s biennial Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) report to the Commissioners Court and requested the court’s approval to file the report with the state by Feb. 1.
West said the SART—composed of local law enforcement, health-care providers, advocates and prosecutors—met regularly to document response capacity and identify gaps. She told the court that because of county geography the community has limited access to mental-health and physical-care resources for adult survivors and that the county must demonstrate effective use of existing funds to secure additional state grants.
“We need more,” West said, summarizing a central finding and asking for the court’s support. Multiple victim advocates and partner-agency representatives stood to introduce themselves and their roles. West emphasized the difference between adult and child cases and noted the group met more often than the statute requires to prepare a comprehensive submission for state review.
Following the presentation the court voted to accept the report and authorize submission to the state. County Judge called for the motion, which passed on a unanimous voice vote.
The SART presentation included a request for assistance in demonstrating stewardship of state grant money so the county can receive expanded resources. West offered to meet with court members and staff to walk through the statutory requirements and the report’s contents prior to filing.
The next procedural step is for court staff to coordinate the report filing and for the judge’s office to work with West on the mechanics and point of contact for the submission.
