Sexual assault is one of the most common and feared crimes that occur on college campuses.
At the University of Northern Colorado, sexual assault, harassment, unlawful sexual contact and stalking are frequent crimes on campus. In fact, sexual assault is the most common crime the UNC Police Department deals with, and investigating sexual assault reports has become a top priority for the department.
According to the UNC’s Daily Crime Log, there are a number of reported sexual assault, harassment, unlawful sexual contact, and stalking cases that are inactive. Inactivity of a case means that there was not enough evidence to make an arrest, though sometimes new evidence will reopen a case.
Following a report of an incident on campus, UNC police will conduct interviews and collect evidence. Typically this process takes just a few weeks.
Additionally, many victims choose not to report or prosecute because prosecution can often be a slow process. Chief of UNC Police Dennis Pumphrey admitted that while the UNC police can wrap up interviews and collect evidence in just a few weeks, the backlog of sexual assault kits sent to second parties slows down the process. It could take some cases a few years to reach the court system because of the backlog.
Pumphrey said that many of the sexual assault cases the university encounters result from acquaintance situations, especially during the first few weeks of school. He noted that many students do not see the red flags that appear from people that they call their “friends.”
Pumphrey said some tips for staying safe and minimizing your risk on campus include “looking out for your friends, if you’re alone knowing what your limits are, knowing what’s not negotiable, and then being assertive.”
Resources for victims of these crimes include the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network or RAINN. Additionally, on campus the Assault Survivor Advocacy Program or ASAP is located on the second floor of Cassidy Hall.
