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SGA advocates for UHPD policy change regarding sexual assault

The policy change will include UHPD to better comfort survivors of sexual assault | File Photo

The policy change will include UHPD to better comfort survivors of sexual assault | File Photo

The Student Government Association plans on taking initiative to change policy and raise awareness surrounding sexual assault on campus, advocating for more UHPD training to better comfort the survivors. 

Policy changes should be in the best interest of all student’s safety, according to SGA president Jasmine Khademakbari. 

“When it comes to student safety that means keeping everybody safe,” Khademakbari said. “(The students) have to be supported and given the proper resources.” 

Khademakbari recently tweeted her concerns that campus police have overlooked in cases of sexual assault, including accounts of victim blaming, as well as other issues.

“We need to ask how do we become better?” Khademakbari said. “How do we change the culture? How do we lower instances of sexual assault?”

SGA includes this issue in improving campus safety. It is working to create a virtual sexual assault awareness event in the midst of this pandemic and these difficult conversations still need to be had, Khademakbari said

UHPD is trained in trauma informed sexual assault investigation, according to Capt. Bret Collier.

“This training adds to basic investigative training in that it helps officers understand the way that trauma can affect memory, reactions and behavior and correct for biases an officer might have about how they may otherwise expect a victim of respond,” Collier said.

Khademakbari said she would like to see more sexual assault training for officers to be more comforting and compassionate, to not victim blame.

“As times change we have to change our set of beliefs as well,” Khademakbari said. 

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