The Sexual Assault and Rape Analysis (SARA) Unit within ECPO's Special Victims Unit provides legal guidance and investigative support for all municipal police departments within Essex County.

The SARA Unit’s legal and investigative staff is available 24 hours a day to assist local law enforcement in their investigations.

The Unit handles cases involving adult victims of sexual crimes and draws upon the expertise of a registered nurse serving as the County Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Coordinator who offers care to survivors 13-years old and above within Essex County through the SANE program. The program’s services consist of a medical forensic exam, in which evidence of the crime is collected by a certified forensic nurse. The victims also are offered a rape care advocate and are served by law enforcement personnel. These services are provided mostly at affiliated hospitals within Essex County.

The SARA Unit supports victims through a vertical prosecution approach, whereby prosecutors assigned to a case handle it from its inception through trial. This allows for a more victim-centered approach. It offers the victim the stability of dealing with a single investigative and prosecution team, thereby sparing him/her the need to constantly repeat the details of the sexually abusive act to countless people.

If you are a victim or witness of a sexual assault, contact your local police department. You may also contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy at: 973-621-4687