REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program exists to prevent sexual harassment and sexual assaults before they occur, but also to ensure individuals are held responsible for their actions if they do occur.
"The U.S. Army Materiel Command strives to foster an environment of trust, dignity and respect and part of that is ensuring our workforce knows offenders are appropriately being held accountable," said Capt. Kelly Sledgister, general law attorney at AMC.
Over 50 SHARP incidents have been reported across AMC in fiscal year 2014.
"The Criminal Investigation Division or AMC initiated investigations for every incident," said Sledgister. "Half of these incidents have been completed and offenders received appropriate criminal sentencing, disciplinary action, and/or administrative measures. The remaining incidents were unfounded or are still being investigated."
As a sexual assault victim, military personnel have two main avenues of reporting: restricted and unrestricted. Civilians must report as unrestricted. However, civilians can reach out to Crisis Services of North Alabama to maintain a confidential reporting option.
By filing a restricted report with a SARC/SHARP Specialist, VA/SHARP Specialist, or a healthcare provider, a victim can disclose the sexual assault without triggering an official investigation and receive medical treatment, advocacy services, legal assistance, and counseling. Unrestricted Reporting is an option that includes the launch of an official investigation.
"We've seen an increase in reporting across the Army," said Jennifer Blatter, AMC Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. "I believe this is due to an increased awareness of the SHARP program and reporting options."
At AMC, employees may report incidents to the SHARP office via Jennifer Blatter at 256-450-7803 or Sgt. Maj. Bruce Williams at 256-450-7802. Williams was recently appointed to be the new SHARP program manager of AMC.
Another major part of the SHARP program is training. AMC aims to have 100 percent of its employees trained on how sexual harassment and assault occurs and how it can be avoided, said Blatter.
AMC will host its next SHARP training sessions Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. at headquarters AMC.
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