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Aspen police to hold seminar on sexual-assault awareness

Aspen Times Staff Report
Aspen, CO Colorado

ASPEN ” In the wake of an alleged sexual assault of a woman outside the Centennial apartments in Aspen last weekend, local authorities are hosting a sexual assault awareness seminar.

The community is invited to attend the public seminar, hosted by the Aspen Police Department, on Friday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers, located in the basement of City Hall at 130 South Galena St.

Representatives from the police, Response, Aspen Counseling Center and the community will discuss Colorado’s sexual-assault laws, safety tips for women, awareness information for men, resources for sexual-assault victims, and more.



Aspen’s relaxed pace and comparatively safe environment can lull people into a false sense of security, authorities say. The recent, highly publicized assault incident has inspired local police to educate community members about how they can help prevent sexual assault with the following tips:

– Trust your very first feeling of uneasiness and don’t dismiss that feeling.




– Be alert. Act assertively. Don’t apologize.

– Keep alcohol consumption in control.

– Never leave a drink unattended or accept a drink that someone else has given you.

– Think ahead. Have a safe way to get home already planned.

– Watch out for one another ” friends, neighbors, co-workers.

– Keep the doors to your vehicle and residence locked.

– Don’t be afraid to ask for help if someone is making you feel threatened.

– Report any suspicious person(s) to the police.

– If you are a victim of a sexual assault, report the incident immediately.

According to the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network website, most rapes ” 73 percent ” are committed by individuals known by the victim rather than strangers, and the incidents occur in familiar, social situations. In 2006, there were 272,350 reported sexual assaults in the United States, and authorities believe 60 percent of all sexual assaults go unreported to the police.

For more information about the upcoming seminar and on sexual-assault awareness, log onto http://www.aspenpolice.com. Snacks for the seminar will, in part, be sponsored by Brunelleschi’s Pizza and the police department.

For advice, support and questions, call the Response hotline at (970) 925-SAFE or the police department’s non-emergency line at (970) 920-5400.