NAMPA — Victims of sexual violence can now get help through an app.
The Nampa Police Department is partnering with the Nampa Family Justice center to roll out the Seek Then Speak app, which can be downloaded for free with your smart phone.
The app aims to put victims in control of the situation by helping them gather information, explore options and report when they are ready.
"A lot of the things this website will do is give them answers to what happens during a medical examination, what can they expect, what happens when they file a police report and what can they expect," said Nampa Police Lt. Eric Skoglund.
Filing a police report the traditional way can often be intimidating for someone who has just been sexually assaulted.
"It gives them a method for doing that that might be more comfortable than walking in the front doors of a police department and trying to tell their story there," Skoglund said.
One hope is that the app boosts reporting all around, but in particular, by younger victims who may not otherwise reach out.
"We understand that these types of crimes are typically under-reported and are sometimes substantially under-reported," Skoglund said. "So, what we want to do is reach out to those victims and try to provide a way that they are comfortable with reaching back to law enforcement."
The app can be set to dozens of different languages and victims of sexual assault living in areas outside of Nampa can still use it.
"If the crime happened in Boise, Caldwell or another area, they can get the contact information for those agencies through the website," Skoglund said. "We are continuing to learn more about how to help victims through these particularly sensitive types of crimes."
People can also visit seekthenspeak.org for the desktop version or call 888-865-9863.