Report to Police

What can I report to police?

If you are in immediate danger, or have just experienced a sexual assault, call 911.

Unwanted sexual contact is never okay, and certain types of contact are criminal offenses including sexual battery and rape.

California legal definitions:

Rape: Non-consensual sexual intercourse that involves the use of threat of force, violence, or immediate and unlawful bodily injury or threats of future retaliation and duress
- Non-consensual: when a person is incapable of giving consent because they are incapacitated by alcohol and/or drugs, or if they have a mental, developmental, or physical disability that renders them incapable of giving consent.
- Whether the accused is a stranger, acquaintance, spouse, or friend is irrelevant to the legal definition of rape.
- Sexual battery: Touching an intimate part of a victim or forcing a victim to touch an intimate part of another person against the victim’s will, for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification or sexual abuse, while unlawfully restraining them, through deception, when the person is unconscious, or while the person is mentally or medically incapacitated.

Read more legal definitions at Laws in California and Laws Outside California.

How to report to police

There are four ways you can report to police:

Call the SFPD non-emergency number (415) 553-0123, and say you would like to make a report with the Special Victims Unit or Sex Crimes department.
In certain instances you may want to visit the local SFPD station closest to you, or the SFPD Sex Crimes headquarters (located at 850 Bryant St, San Francisco) to make a report in person. If you call ahead of time someone SFPD staff can help you figure out which option is best for you.
If you first report to USF, a USF staff member is required to assist you in reporting to police, if you so choose. In your initial discussion and/or intake interview, you can tell the staff member that you wish to report to police, and they will facilitate the process.
If you visit San Francisco General Hospital for a forensic exam, SFPD will be notified, and if you wish, they will send a uniformed officer to come speak with you at the hospital.

You may request that SFPD not send an officer if you don’t want to make a report at that time. However, potential evidence collected from the forensic exam may be kept in case you change your mind and want to report to police in the future.

If is has been more than 5 days, or you do not wish to have a forensic exam, you can still report to the police, and a USF staff member can assist you in the process. You can call SFPD at (415) 553-0123 and set up a time to speak with an Officer or Investigator.

If you choose to report to police, a member of USF Public Safety can provide you with transportation and/or escort you to the police station, if you desire. You can visit Public Safety at UC on the 5th Floor, call them at (415) 422-2911, or by dialing extension 2911 on any campus phone, or email them at [email protected].

Learn more about reporting to SFPD on the SFPD website.

What happens after I report?

After you make an initial report, a designated Investigator/Detective may be assigned to your case and will follow up with you to determine next steps. Potential next steps may include:

visiting the scene of the crime
interviewing witnesses, and/or
interviewing you to gather more information

At that point, they might decide not to move forward with a criminal investigation. If they do move forward, the investigator will present the evidence and details of the case to a District Attorney, who will determine whether there is enough evidence to move forward with a criminal prosecution. The prosecutor may decide to pursue a criminal case even if you do not want to, however, you cannot be forced to participate in any investigation or prosecution if you do not wish.