Prosecutors of sexual-assault crimes in Santa Clara County will have additional help with their cases, thanks to the donation of two new state-of-the-art cameras, county officials announced last Thursday.

The Deputy Sheriff's Association of Santa Clara County donated the $1,000 Canon digital cameras, which are specifically outfitted to take high-resolution, indoor and close-up shots in poor lighting. They can document injuries such as bruises and cuts on patients who are victims of a sexual assault.

"A high-resolution camera like this with the special lens provides better information for law enforcement to use in their investigation," Linda Richards, program manager for the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, stated in a press release. "The SART goal is to help the patient get through this terrible experience, and the best help is a successful outcome in the legal system."

Every year, 300 patients are treated at Valley Medical Center for sexual assault, according to the organization. The first step in prosecuting sexual-assault perpetrators is an exhaustive medical and forensic physical examination by a specialist nurse who is part of the response team. The donations will aid investigators and prosecutors in providing the best possible evidence against rapists and other sexual predators, according to the news release.

The Deputy Sheriff's Association represents 500 law enforcement officers throughout Santa Clara County. The association also donated a $5,000 camera to the Sexual Assault Response Team last year, according to Association President Matt Dutra.

Valley Medical Center's 22-year-old response team is the oldest continuously operating program of its kind in California and is staffed 24 hours a day, according to the press release.

The cameras were donated through the Valley Medical Center Foundation, which supports the work of Valley Medical Center.

— Palo Alto Weekly staff

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