U.S. Army Garrison - Detroit Arsenal, Mich. -- The Detroit Arsenal hosted a Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention exposition April 25 in Building 200 as part of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
This observance offered an opportunity to educate the workforce about sexual violence. The Detroit Arsenal SHARP team presented viewings of the film "The Hunting Ground", multiple SHARP displays, and guest presentations by Wayne County Prosecutor, Kym Worthy and the Director of Advocacy Services at Wayne County Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner, Amy Smith.
U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Commander, Maj. Gen. Daniel Mitchell spoke during the presentation portion of the expo. He said we can work as a team to build a climate that respects and protects every team member. He also referenced Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Mark Milley's position on sexual assault and sexual harassment in his remarks when he stated that the associated retaliatory behaviors are incompatible with Army values. They destroy teamwork and negatively affect mission readiness.
"Prevention of sexual assault, harassment and retaliation is everyone's responsibility," said Mitchell. "Every member of this work force is responsible for treating one another with mutual dignity and respect. All leaders will set an example and create an environment of trust where sex assault and harassment cannot exist. Thank you for living the army values every day."
Worthy spoke about her involvement with and the process of testing the 11,241 untested rape kits that were discovered in a Detroit Police Warehouse. She commented how every kit represented a victim, a living, breathing person that had been violently assaulted. None of the kits were numbered or attached to a police report. During a nine month period, the prosecutor's office developed their own database.
While their biggest challenge was funding to test all the kits said Worthy, some of these cases were more than 40 years old. She also said three things needed to happen. Worthy stated first we had to change the culture of Detroit Police Department so that every kit from that point forward was tested. Second state laws were needed to set a time line for testing. Thirdly a tracking system was needed.
"If you can track a package from an on-line company, why couldn't a victim track a rape kit through the criminal justice system?" said Worthy.
The Wayne County SAFE Program provides victim advocate services for sexual assault victims. Advocates are available to provide immediate support, information, resources, and referrals to survivors and their families. This includes information on rights and options, including medical and legal options, trauma response and common reactions. Advocates can also assist with safety planning including PPO's and obtaining emergency shelter.
Smith spoke about the SAFE program and how SAFE helped develop a protocol with local law enforcement for contacting the victims of the Detroit backlog cases.
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