Idaho State Police Forensic Services Wins $500,000 Federal Grant to Strengthen Sexual Assault Nurse Program in Rural Areas
Idaho State Police Forensic Services, based in Meridian, Ada County, Idaho, announced on November 2 that it has been awarded a $500,000 federal grant to strengthen Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) resources and improve access to medical forensic services, particularly in rural Idaho communities. The funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime's FY25 Increasing Availability of Medical Forensic Examinations for Victims of Sexual Assault program, will support forensic nurse education and development for at least three years, as well as travel and supplies for collection sites.
Matthew Gamette, director of the ISP Forensic Services laboratory system, said the grant's focus is to help communities have specialized resources and well-trained professionals closer to home, so a survivor does not have to travel hours to another community. Since 2017, the agency has trained more than 300 sexual assault nurse examiners and helped establish more than 29 examination locations in rural Idaho, with more than 35 sites now available statewide.
Research from the Idaho Statistical Analysis Center estimates 13.6% of adult Idahoans have experienced sexual violence during their lifetime; in 2024, 1,883 sexual assault victims were known to law enforcement, while more than 8,000 received assistance through federally funded victim service programs.
(Source: Idaho State Police)
Source: Idaho State Police
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：爱达荷州警察巡逻车。Thornfield Hall 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: An Idaho State Police patrol car. By Thornfield Hall, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
