Campus Security & Public Safety

A sexual assault was reported by a Gonzaga student yesterday afternoon (October 4). The student reported that the incident took place in a friend’s room in a residence hall during the early morning hours of October 4. The suspect was described as a male between 18-20 years of age, of average height and build, possibly a student.  The student believes she may have been drugged. The student has contacted the Spokane Police Department (SPD) and an investigation is ongoing. The University is providing support to the student and assisting SPD in the investigation.  

Gonzaga’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) First Responders are available to provide support and guidance through the campus system and assistance with the resources available both on and off campus.  First Responders are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling Security Dispatch at 313-2222 and asking for a SART First Responder. 

SAFeT (Sexual Assault & Family Trauma) is an off-campus service that offers trained advocates who can offer crisis intervention, information and referral resources, legal advocacy, and support for friends and family.  SAFeT’s 24 hour crisis line can be accessed by calling (509) 624-7272. 

The Student Life Case Manager will work with anyone who reports sexual misconduct to ensure that resources are available to the individual.  Please call 509-313-4175 or stop by the Student Life Office.

Steps to Reduce Your Risk of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault:

• Go out with and stay with friends – perpetrators isolate the victim to make committing a sexual assault easier.
• Keep your drink with you at all times – setting it down for even a second is enough time for someone to tamper with it.
• Get your own drinks – even if you know the person who is offering the drinks.
• Avoid punch bowls – or other drinks that are highly accessible to being tampered with.
• Avoid taking drinks that have candy or other objects in them – these objects may be used to disguise the appearance or taste of drugs in the drink.
• Confront rumors or evidence of drugging – perpetrators use silence and secrecy to commit assaults
• Get help for anyone who seems like they may have been drugged – even if you don’t know them, stay with them.
• If you drink, drink responsibly – intoxication will lessen your awareness of what is going on around you.  

We want all of our community members to be safe. Remember: 

• If you have to walk, do so in groups especially after dark. Try to use well-lit, busy routes. Be aware of your surroundings.
• Utilize Saferide if you need a ride back to your residence from an off-campus location: call 568-8000.
• Utilize Security escorts to travel across campus: 313-2222.
• Once you are in safe place, report all crimes immediately to police at 911 and GU Security at 313-2222. 

To learn more about Gonzaga Campus Public Safety & Security, including information about incidents on campus and in the neighborhood and ways that you can stay safe and protect your property, visit http://blogs.gonzaga.edu/campo/

This entry was posted on October 5, 2009 at 3:56 pm and is filed under crime prevention, INCIDENTS on Campus & in the Neighborhood, logan neighborhood. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.