|
 |
Attorney General Mike DeWine
DeWine
Announces Campus Sexual Assault Initiatives
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General DeWine today announced several
initiatives to help Ohio’s colleges and universities better respond to
sexual assaults.
“Sexual assault happens far too often in this country. We know it
happens in Ohio, and we know that it happens on college campuses,” said
Attorney General DeWine. “Streamlining investigations and prosecutions
and improving victim services are crucial to addressing campus sexual
assaults.”
DeWine made the initiative announcement at Columbus State Community
College, which has been recognized for its efforts to maintain campus
safety.
“I share Attorney General DeWine’s commitment to providing a strong
infrastructure of swift and effective response to any sexual assault or
sexual misconduct on campus, and I thank him for his leadership on this
issue. The leaders at Columbus State in law enforcement, student
conduct and human resources have aligned our policies and procedures
with national best-practices in this area, and we welcome the
opportunity to become an early partner in the Attorney General’s
collaborative approach to addressing these critical issues,” said Dr.
David Harrison, President of Columbus State Community College.
DeWine announced three initiatives the Ohio Attorney General’s Office
would be implementing:
Victim of Crime Grants: Attorney General DeWine announced his office
would be dedicating $3 million in competitive grants for campuses to
strengthen their sexual assault victim advocacy programs.
Memorandums of Understanding: The Attorney General’s Office has
prepared resources for schools to develop agreements with law
enforcement, prosecutors, and victim services providers. These plans
clearly define each party’s role when a sexual assault is reported,
which is important since, in many cases, law enforcement investigations
and campus disciplinary proceedings commence simultaneously.
Campus Sexual Assault Investigation Training: The Attorney General’s
Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy will be offering advanced regional
trainings this summer focused on best practices for investigating
sexual assaults reported to have occurred on campus. Dates and
locations are:
* July 21, Bowling Green State University
* July 23, The Ohio State University
* July 27, Ohio University
* July 30, The University of Akron
* August 5, Miami University
Initiative resources, including the OPOTA course description and
Memorandum of Understanding materials, are available on the Ohio
Attorney General’s website.
|
|
|
|
