BY AARON KUNKLER, Staff Reporter
Last summer, a 23-year-old man was stabbed to death on campus at Central. Police were tight lipped on the situation then, and continue to refrain from commenting much on the investigation now.
Chief Mike Luvera, of Central police says that the case is still ongoing, with dedicated officers that are still conducting follow up investigations and interviews. He also stated that campus police are collaborating heavily with the Ellensburg Police department, as well as the state patrol.
The victim of the stabbing was not a Central student or staff member, but it did occur on campus, meaning it falls under the Central police’s directing jurisdiction.
“There’s a lot of multi-agency response to the incident,” Luvera said.
Though the investigation is still ongoing, the Chief said that Kittitas County at large has a good track record on preventing violence. When violent crimes like this do occur, it’s hard to predict or prevent, but he feels that people may be a bit more aware of their surroundings in the wake of the murder.
“We don’t have a lot of violent crime,” Chief Luvera said.
Campus and personal security are issues that go beyond the police department. Andrea Easlick, a health counselor at the Wellness Center located in the SURC, says that there are a few different programs students can take advantage of to ensure their physical security.
One such program is the Green Dot system, which is designed to bring about a culture of intervention.
“It’s designed to empower bystanders to intervene in high-risk situations,” Easlick said.
High-risk situations, as defined by the program, include instances where students may see something wrong, and it encourages them to get involved and report the incident immediately.
A map of reported interventions, focusing on sexual assault, partner abuse and stalking, can be seen at the Wellness Center.
The Green Dot program, a national program, includes many different colleges across the United States. Students who wish to get involved must attend a training course designed to educate them on how to safely get involved in situations, with the goal of reducing negative behavior on campus.
Students wishing to report incidents of successful Green Dot intervention or get involved in the training program should seek more information at the Wellness Center.
Another program called RAD, or Rape-Aggression-Defense, can be taken as a PE credit, and is taught by Officer Jason Berthon-Koch.
RAD is a program designed to teach women with no previous self-defense skills how to defend themselves from an assailant.
Women interested in taking the course are encouraged to inquire at the campus police department.
Finally, the Courtesy Assistance Team (CAT) is available every night from around 7 p.m. until midnight. Comprised of two students per night, the team is available to walk anyone who requests it around campus.
Jacob Maule, a Law and Justice major, is one such CAT member. He described his duties as mainly walking people to and from the library, dorms, the SURC or wherever students felt they needed an escort.
He also stated that often when they do not have any specific calls, they are patrolling the campus and keeping an eye out for people who may need assistance. Students can reach the CAT team at 509-963-2950.
