NM Daily Lobo 08 27 15

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DAILY LOBO new mexico

The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895

dailylobo.com

A u g u s t 2 7 , 2 0 1 5 | Vo l u m e 1 2 0 | I s s u e 5

Does UNMPD do enough to prevent sexual harassment? Department under scrutiny from parents, students who think they could do more By David Lynch In recent weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of reported sexual harassment incidents on campus, which has some asking whether UNM police are doing enough to protect students. “I think they need to have more patrols,” said Mary Martinez, a junior biology major. “You hardly ever see them, and it’s very unfortunate that these incidents have to happen for them to notice. They’re usually not here in the evenings, which really sucks. It’s kind of scary walking around campus and you don’t see any of them.” There have been three sexual harassment incidents on or near main campus warranting a LoboAlert since July 30, including one on Friday morning. UNMPD Public Information Officer Lt. Tim Stump said the police force constantly does all it can to prevent harassment of any kind at the University, with a comprehensive process that begins right when the first call is made. “Any call we respond to is handled based on the information we receive at the time,” Stump said. He said the first priority is always getting medical assistance to survivors. Additionally, an advocate from the Rape Crisis Center is assigned to help in the short- and long-term. The investigation of individual incidents is handled by a Sexual Misconduct/Assault Response Team (SMART) detective, who also assists the victim in any way they can. He said the best thing people can do to prevent sexual harassment is keep their eyes open, and to realize that time is of the essence. “Students have to be aware and cautious of their surroundings,” Stump said. “If you’re a victim or a witness, get the best description you possibly can and call UNMPD immediately. If an alert goes out, pay attention to it. If you locate someone matching their description, call us immediately.” Lilly Diamond, a UNM alum with a daughter currently enrolled, said the high frequency of reported sexual harassment incidents in recent weeks have her concerned, and have prompted her to communicate with UNMPD Chief of Police Kevin McCabe.

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