2008 Woodie Awards
EDITORIAL: Questions of confidence from unsolved cases
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Opinion
It has been just over two years since a sexual assault happened on Humboldt State's campus. Since then, has the person who did it been caught? No. Have the police continued their efforts of finding the person? No.
Has the University Police Department done everything it can to make this a campus that makes women feel safe from assault? Obviously not, especially in light of another assault that happened within the residence halls at the end of March. In this incident, of which the police did not notify the Lumberjack, the attacker groped and forcibly carried another student to his residence hall room. After verbal and physical resistance, she got away.
At least two assaults were reported in the past two years. These were both within three weeks of when the campus is recognizing Take Back the Night. Take Back the Night is a series of workshops, speakers and open mic sessions, all to end sexualized violence.
The Lumberjack wants to know why Take Back the Night is in April? Why not have it in August, and teach a new wave of students very early on that assault is never okay?
What does the University Police Department do to make this campus safe for women everyday? Sure, they have Rape Aggression Defense training and police escorts, but can the police honestly say they do everything they can to constantly prevent assault? The police say they are doing everything they can by being visible on campus. Clearly being visible on campus is not enough.
It is hard to have confidence in a police department that only solves crimes that are easy. The attacker from the end of March lives in the residence halls and was, therefore, easy to find. The attacker from two years ago was harder to find and was therefore not caught.
It is insensitive of Chief Dewey to say that the 2006 assault was a "crime of opportunity." This shows what we can expect from the University Police.
We expect the local police department to put an ounce of effort into solving crimes and lending confidence to the people they are sworn to protect. If you don't feel confident or safe in the hands of the University Police, the Arcata Police Department phone number is 822 - 2428.
Has the University Police Department done everything it can to make this a campus that makes women feel safe from assault? Obviously not, especially in light of another assault that happened within the residence halls at the end of March. In this incident, of which the police did not notify the Lumberjack, the attacker groped and forcibly carried another student to his residence hall room. After verbal and physical resistance, she got away.
At least two assaults were reported in the past two years. These were both within three weeks of when the campus is recognizing Take Back the Night. Take Back the Night is a series of workshops, speakers and open mic sessions, all to end sexualized violence.
The Lumberjack wants to know why Take Back the Night is in April? Why not have it in August, and teach a new wave of students very early on that assault is never okay?
What does the University Police Department do to make this campus safe for women everyday? Sure, they have Rape Aggression Defense training and police escorts, but can the police honestly say they do everything they can to constantly prevent assault? The police say they are doing everything they can by being visible on campus. Clearly being visible on campus is not enough.
It is hard to have confidence in a police department that only solves crimes that are easy. The attacker from the end of March lives in the residence halls and was, therefore, easy to find. The attacker from two years ago was harder to find and was therefore not caught.
It is insensitive of Chief Dewey to say that the 2006 assault was a "crime of opportunity." This shows what we can expect from the University Police.
We expect the local police department to put an ounce of effort into solving crimes and lending confidence to the people they are sworn to protect. If you don't feel confident or safe in the hands of the University Police, the Arcata Police Department phone number is 822 - 2428.
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