After reading Friday's editorial, I would have to disagree that increasing the number of female officers on the university's police department would encourage more rape victims to come forward. I highly doubt that most victims sit and contemplate whether they'll have to recount their horrible experience to a male or female officer; plus, as the article stated, there are also female nurses in place to assist. What the article also failed to articulate was that most women fail to report cases of sexual assault because they are afraid, not because they may be subject to the scrutiny of a male police officer. While some women may feel more comfortable recounting the story to a female officer over a male, we should not discount those male OUPD officers or other male members of any police force for their service on sexual assault and rape cases. They are just as qualified as women to handle these situations with the delicate care that is needed. That is, unless you choose to believe as the article put it that, This is about having officers in place that may better be able to handle sexual assault cases
and by all means, only women can understand rape and assault cases against other women.
While I feel that an increased percentage of women among OUPD officers may enhance the quality of our university's police department, from my own experience their absence will not deter someone from reporting a rape.
Furthermore, a male officer can handle a rape case with as much, if not more, care than a woman. In 2007, I was one of the 12 students the article referred to. While the officer who I had to recount my story to was part of the Athens Police Department, he was a male. Moreover, he handled the situation with great sensitivity and care. My greatest fear about reporting the assault was not worrying about reporting my story to a male officer, but about the stigma attached to being a victim of sexual assault. If The Post feels that women and men should report instances of sexual assault and rape, I might suggest tackling personal attitudes and behaviors surrounding rape and not using it as a soapbox to increase the percentage of female officers on the university police department.
Katie Frantz is a senior studying political science and English. 4
Opinion
