HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — On Wednesday, the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners will vote on a new contract with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay that will expand sexual assault services in the county.
The Crisis Center said this is a big need in our community. As of September 17, they already treated 22 people at their sexual assault locations.
The current contract between the county and the crisis center runs out on September 30. The focus of the new contract is the county providing the availability of a nurse examiner.
There are two sexual assault crisis centers open 24/7 in Hillsborough County.
Clara Reynolds, the CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, said they need the county to provide the availability of a nurse examiner. The crucial part here is that a nurse is needed on an on-call basis because time is of the essence after a sexual assault.
“The piece that is key in all of this is that we have to have availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year because when a sexual assault happens, a clock starts,” Reynolds said.
She explained it's a timely process to start gathering the DNA evidence needed for police. She will be at the Board of County Commissioners meeting to explain how great the need is in the community.
“Imagine if it was your child, if it was your sister, if it was your brother, who had just been sexually assaulted and facing one of the worst experiences they ever had, and they had to wait days before they could get the support and to be able to gather the forensic evidence,” Reynolds said.
The crisis center has two locations open 24/7 to help survivors of sexual assault. They also have resources to help people emotionally. Click here for more information.
The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners meeting starts at 9 a.m. Click here to watch live.
