Bellingham-Whatcom County, Washington: Report from 2019 Sexual Assault National Demonstration Audit (SANDA)

Like all communities across our nation, we know the majority of survivors in Whatcom County do not report incidents of sexual assault, and accountability for sexual offenders is rare. In 2015, members of
the Bellingham-Whatcom County Commission Against Domestic Violence identified the need for more
local data and decided to lead a community assessment of sexual assault responses by our local
agencies. At the time, Whatcom County had not completed a formal assessment process regarding
sexual assault, nor was any organization or agency specifically addressing systemic gaps in responses to
sexual assault. With the support of partner agencies, the Commission pursued and was awarded grant
funding to complete a Sexual Assault Audit.