ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The backlog of sexual assault kits across the nation has received increased attention in the last few years. In 2016, The Bureau of Justice Assistance launched the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative to aid in the process of testing the growing number of untested sexual assault kits across the country. Knowing they could provide a solution, the Anchorage-based tech company, Sockeye Business Solutions, Inc (Sockeye), developed TRUULI, a Sexual Assault Kit Tracking Software.
“This is a rewarding project to build, this software is needed to create change and I’m proud to be a part of the solution to end the backlog,” stated Elissa Williams, Sockeye’s Senior Software Architect.
Sockeye announced the launch of TRUULI in Montana this month. Montana’s implementation of TRUULI allows for over 230 entities across the state to manage kits through a secure web portal. Law enforcement, case managers, attorneys, hospitals, and labs each have unique access to the information pertaining to their job.
“Montana is just one state; we hope to continue to implement across the country and increase visibility for legislators, law enforcement, and survivors. Building out a system this sensitive requires a lot of empathy as a developer,” explains Williams. “There are many stakeholders, each with different stresses and needs— high-level visibility for the legislature, quick access for a nurse at a collection site, and anonymity for the survivor.”
Each kit is assigned a tracking number and barcoded. Tracking starts when kits are distributed to collection sites; primarily medical facilities. Every kit is tracked as it moves from collection site to law enforcement facilities, labs, and storage providing a full audit trail of where each kit is and has been.
“Our company has pride when we talk about TRUULI,” said Nick Brorson, CEO of Sockeye. “Sockeye develops systems to solve business problems, so developing software for a social issue has built a more emotional connection to the project. Being from Alaska, a state with staggering sexual assault statistics and a backlog, it is close to our hearts. This system brings the visibility and reporting needed to end the backlog and prevent it from ever occurring again.”
About TRUULI
TRUULI is built on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform and utilizes the security of the Microsoft Government Cloud, compliant with Criminal Justice Information Service Standards. Time to process, location, and demographics build powerful analytics for real time reporting. Each entity has a unique portal type for law enforcement, case managers, attorneys, hospitals, and labs granting access to only information pertaining to each type. Each user has a unique login and all actions are logged for the administrator with a full audit trail. TRUULI was built by Sockeye for the sole purpose of tracking sexual assault kits as they change custody and status.
About Sockeye
Sockeye’s expertise is in solving complex business challenges. Our services include software development, implementation services, business intelligence/reporting, training and support, project management, and business process analysis. Over time we have encountered numerous organizations in need of a flexible software product for their niche industry. We have extensive experience in consulting with clients to understand their business processes and offer services to match those processes with the best possible product for implementation, configuration, support, and success.