BARRIE -- Canadian police chiefs are adopting a new approach to sexual assault investigations.

A report found that one in five cases of sexual assault reported to police was dropped without reason. With this new framework by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), the goal is to ensure no cases slip through the cracks and that every victim's story is heard.

Officials call it unprecedented as local police look to connect with forces across Canada to investigate sexual violence.

"We are looking to ensure that our investigations are of excellence, top quality," Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood said.

The initiative comes more than two years after the CACP agreed to address the gaps in sexual violence investigations.

Previously, there were three steps: report, investigate and clearance.

Now it includes an independent review for every case, ensuring that every investigation that doesn't result in charges is reviewed.

"We know that sexual violence and human trafficking crimes are hidden and that for many reasons, its particularly difficult for victims and survivors to come forward," Ontario's Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said. "I want to change that and help create an environment where more victims are willing to break their silence."

Jones said this is an approach that puts a victim's point of view at the centre of the investigative process.

"Taking into consideration the physical and mental impacts that these traumatic experiences have on individuals are important and crucial steps towards building trust and understanding."

"The history of sexual violence and the criminal justice system has been a deep struggle for survivors, and there are survivors today who are thinking about those experiences and still feeling the harm," said Violence Against Women advocate Sunny Marriner.

The Ontario Provincial Police has been following this same model for more than 18 months.

Inspector Karen Arney said officers are learning how victims respond to trauma. "We have seen an improvement in our cases. We've reviewed approximately 275 cases so far with advocates, and it's been a really great learning experience for police as well as for the advocates."

The new framework is already in place at more than a dozen police forces, but major cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver have yet to take these steps.

The CACP hopes to see it rolled out in at least one major city so the rest will follow.