The Eastern Michigan University Special Victims Unit is a five-person task force organized earlier this year to address violent crimes against persons and minimize victimization within the campus community.
EMU SVU's main goal is to help and support anyone making a complaint, whether that complaint goes to court, if they need assistance on campus with resources, getting them the right information or sending them to the right officers on campus.
EMU SVU officer Dorsey said, "What we're trying to do is cut down on more victimization, trying to cut down on the number of times that we interview, and we're trying to make it a gentler process for that person. It becomes a little bit more personal, we can work with that person more one on one and we can build a relationship with that person."
When there are reports against domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault and date rape the EMU SVU assigns an officer to that person making the complaint.
Dorsey said, "The goal is for people to understand that when these types of complaints happen, we're going to support that person and do the best that we can for that person to help them through that process."
The number of cases reported on EMU's main campus is statistically low with 35 combined reports of stalking, domestic violence, dating violence, rape, and fondling in 2014 according to the annual crime statistics by the Department of Public Safety. In comparison Western Michigan University's annual crime statistics listed 30 combined on-campus reports and Central Michigan University listed 26 on-campus reports in 2014.
While the numbers are low there are cases that go unreported. Dorsey said, "A lot of folks aren't comfortable reporting. They don't have to report if they don't want to. Even if they talk to us, if they don't want to give us any information about what happened, like if I'm interviewing you and you don't want to tell me your name or what happened to you, you don't have to tell me anything. You can say "Officer Dorsey I don't want to talk about it," and that's our report. "
Dorsey thinks that more cases for sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and date rape will be reported because there are now other avenues that people can report to. Instead of going to the police people can go through Title IX or friends and acquaintances that they're comfortable with.
Dorsey said, "They can go to the police department, or they can contact Title IX office and report. They can go to an instructor, or a friend, whoever they're comfortable with reporting to, we have protocols in place at the university where people are in a position where they have to report, either to Title IX or the police department."
Several upcoming events are being organized by the EMU SVU to raise awareness including Start by Believing and Got Consent? Start by Believing is a public awareness campaign designed by End Violence Against Women International, which aims to change the way law enforcement responds to rape and sexual assault. Got Consent? involves prosecutors from Washtenaw County doing a presentation on the topic of consent.
Dorsey said, "They're going to talk about how they prosecute cases, why they prosecute cases, how they retrieve evidence, what they do with the evidence, why we ask the questions that we ask when we do interviews. It kind of dispels myths on what people think of when a case goes to court."
The Start by Believing event will be held in Rm. 300 of the Student Center on Oct. 10 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Got Consent? will be held in the ballroom of the Student Center on Oct. 12 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
