WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is the world’s largest membership organization of police executives that provides the professional voice of law enforcement and is comprised of numerous agencies that serve jurisdictions including closed communities such as military installations, university, and college campuses; and

WHEREAS, the impact of gender-based violence including but not limited to sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, stalking, sexual-based harassment, and strangulation on military installations and university and college campuses impacts the psychological and emotional well-being of victims and corrupts the safety and security of these communities; and

WHEREAS, military, university and college campus law enforcement leaders must clearly establish community trust and effectively and comprehensively respond to reports of gender-based violence by supporting a victim-centered approach toward those who experience gender-based violence and a perpetrator-focused investigation to hold those who commit these offenses accountable; and

WHEREAS, the military, and university and college campuses largely comprise similar demographics (particularly age range) and are linked in how they support social development, socialization, and integration within each respective culture and environment; and

WHEREAS, the reporting of gender-based violence on military installations1 universities and college campuses is extremely low due to many factors,2 some of which include the trauma and blame victims may experience;3the fear of retribution and/or punishment by the perpetrator, supervisor, peers, and/or the criminal justice system; and the victim’s concern that they may not be believed or even blamed for the act;4 and

WHEREAS, perpetrators of gender-based violence may be predatory and serial in nature, target victims, and employ a variety of tactics to create victim vulnerabilities sometimes facilitated with alcohol and drugs. They may isolate victims; use implied or overt threats, coercion, and stalking tactics; commit additional crimes of gender-based violence; and use other behaviors to control victims;5 and

WHEREAS, military, university, and college campus law enforcement leaders must identify and implement the use of innovative tools and resources to effectively and collaboratively respond to gender-based violence; develop strong, comprehensive response and investigative policies and procedures; provide current and comprehensive training and education on gender-based violence to all department members and investigative personnel; create/collaborate with multidisciplinary partnerships; and provide victims of gender-based violence with resources, access to support, and a professional response; and

WHEREAS these four sections and committees commit to addressing gender-based violence in a meaningful way to include sharing information, resources, and best practices, educating local policing agencies, the development of memoranda of understanding, creating a working group with members of each of the four named sections and committees, and developing joint training programs. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP calls upon law enforcement leadership in the military, universities, and colleges to partner with international, local, and state law enforcement to prioritize efforts to address gender-based violence and strengthen the response to these crimes that occur in these communities; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP fully supports the continued partnerships and collaborations among the military, university, college, international, local, county, state, and federal policing agencies who are required to ensure the safety and security of our communities and hold perpetrators of gender-based violence accountable in order to best serve those service members, civilian employees, students, faculty, and staff who place their trust in these institutions.

Submitted by: Defense Chiefs of Police Section, University &College Police Section, Victim Services Committee, and Civil Law Enforcement/Military Cooperation Committee

DEF.22.19

1 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Sexual Assault in the Military (2013),  https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/docs/09242013_Statutory_Enforcement_Report_Sexual_Assault_in_the_Military.pdf.

2 Sexual Violence on Campus, prepared for U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill by the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Financial & Contracting Oversight – Majority Staff (2014), http://dcrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sen.-McCaskills-Sexual-Violence-   on-Campus-Survey-Report1.pdf.

3 Bonnie Fisher, Francis Cullen, and Michael Turner, The Sexual Victimization of College Women (Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, December 2000) https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/182369.pdf.

4 Michael Planty et al., Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010 (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, March 2013), http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fvsv9410.pdf.

5 David Lisak, “Understanding the Predatory Nature of Sexual Violence,” Government Innovators Network (2008),   https://www.innovations.harvard.edu/understanding-predatory-nature-sexual-violence.