Officers help highlight Sexual Assault Awareness Month

MARQUETTE — Officers in Marquette County joined members of the Women’s Center at the YMCA Monday to show their support for sexual assault awareness, by putting teal ribbons on their patrol cars.

Those ribbons will stay on their rides for the entire month. Many times police officers are the first people on scene after a sexual assault has occurred.

“Sexual assault is one of those topics that people prefer not to talk about, so really we want to make that awareness out there that it’s really OK to come forward to talk about that there’s support out there for you,” said Michelle Fortunato, sexual assault program coordinator at the Women’s Center in Marquette.

“The Women’s Center is here to help all men, women and children of sexual assault,” she added.

If you’ve been a victim of sexual assault or know someone that has been, the Women’s Center Harbor House has a crisis line that is staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week. You can find that information by clicking HERE.