Two Kansas City police leaders are getting national recognition for work that has changed how se*ual assault survivors can document what happened to them and decide what to do next.
Captain Erica Oldham and Sgt. Nathan Kinate were named 2026 Professional Impact Award recipients by End Violence Against Women International, an honor that recognizes professionals whose work has significantly influenced their community’s response to violence against women.
In Kansas City, that recognition is tied closely to Seek Then Speak, a survivor-centered tool the officers helped bring to KCPD.
In a public post celebrating the award, the department said Oldham and Kinate were honored for advocating on behalf of se*ual assault survivors and for helping usher the tool into Kansas City, where it is now used to document assaults and strengthen the quality of cases later sent to prosecutors.
KCPD first introduced Seek Then Speak in April 2022 as a confidential tool on the department’s S*x Crimes page.
The department described it as an “online diary” that allows survivors to remain anonymous while moving through a series of questions designed to gather key details about an assault.
Survivors can work through the tool at their own pace, take the time they need, explore options for medical care and support services, and, if they choose, begin the process of completing a police report. As the department explained at launch, that is the point where “SEEK switches to SPEAK.”
One reason the tool matters is the way it gives survivors more control. KCPD says information entered into Seek Then Speak is not saved by the system. Instead, the survivor receives a PDF of their responses that they can save, print, or email when they are ready.
Read More: Kansas City Municipal Court Changes Walk-In Process Starting April 15EVAWI says the tool was designed to reduce anxiety, improve accuracy, and let survivors decide whether to share the information with police, a counselor, or an advocate.
The Kansas City rollout also addressed a larger problem that often keeps cases from moving forward. KCPD said research shows only about 20% of se*ual assaults are reported to police, often because survivors fear they will not be believed, fear retaliation, feel embarrassed, or are simply not emotionally ready to make a formal report.
The department said one of its goals with Seek Then Speak was to help survivors preserve details while they are still fresh, making it easier to come forward later if and when they decide they are ready.
KCPD also said the questions in the tool mirror common questions asked by investigators, which can improve the quality of cases submitted to the prosecutor’s office.
The program is available to people 13 and older and can be translated into more than 100 languages, which widens access for survivors who may otherwise face barriers in getting started.
KCPD said the tool was created and developed by EVAWI, the same national organization that has now recognized Oldham and Kinate for helping make it part of Kansas City’s response.
For Kansas City, the award is about more than two names on an honors list. It reflects a broader shift toward giving survivors more privacy, more time, and more say in how they document trauma.
That is what makes the recognition meaningful. Oldham and Kinate are being honored not just for supporting a tool, but for helping put a more survivor-centered option into the hands of people who may need it most.
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