The Illinois Attorney General will use a new federal grant to train police to respond to sexual assaults.

The $750,000 grant will help establish a new statewide training program required for every officer in Illinois.

“We would like to see … a movement towards believing the victim, showing respect to the victim and empathy to the victim no matter the circumstances,” said Sean Black with the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Black said sometimes police officers can be judgmental — or even skeptical — of victims who report sexual crimes.

“The better interaction between law enforcement and rape victims, the more prosecutions, which will mean more rapists off the streets,” Black said.

The new program will take effect Jan. 1.

Patrick Smith is a WBEZ producer and reporter. Follow him @pksmid.