Utah State University sent a timely warning notice this morning, Monday, Nov. 5, 2018, at approximately 10 a.m. to alert the campus community of a report sexual assault. USU issues three kinds of campus alerts to students and employees: emergency notifications, timely warning notices, and safety alerts. Alerts are sent through USU's Code Blue Alert System, and all members of the campus community should keep their notification settings in Code Blue updated. Learn more about campus alerts at https://dps.usu.edu/clery/.

TIMELY WARNING NOTICE          

A sexual assault was reported to the Logan Police Department at approximately 9:30 pm last night, Nov. 4, 2018. The alleged assault occurred 24 hours earlier. The location of the reported crime is unclear at this time, but likely occurred at a fraternity near the USU Logan campus. The report indicates drugs or alcohol may have been used to facilitate the sexual assault. There is not a suspect at this time, and this safety notice contains the information available at this time. An investigation is ongoing.

If you have any information that might be helpful in investigating this sexual assault, contact the Logan Police Department by phone at 435-753-7555. 

Utah law and USU policy prohibit nonconsensual sexual contact, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, and these actions can carry severe consequences. The health and safety of the campus community is USU’s primary concern, and the university’s Amnesty Policy excuses students who report sexual misconduct from facing discipline for a violation of the student code involving drugs and alcohol. 

Everyone on campus has a responsibility to make our community safe. It is never possible to completely eliminate the risk of becoming a victim of a crime, but here are some suggestions for reducing your risk of being targeted and helping keep the campus safe:

• Keep an eye on your friends. Don’t stand by if someone is speaking or behaving in a disrespectful, inappropriate, or dangerous way. Stand up and prevent harm to others. Learn more about becoming an Upstander or take a bystander intervention training.   
• Know what you are drinking, keep an eye on your drink, and never accept a drink from someone you don’t know or trust.
• Make sure you understand consent and always receive it before engaging in sexual activity. Consent is freely-given, specific, and unambiguous, and cannot be given by someone who is incapacitated due to a disability, drug or alcohol use, or being asleep or unconscious. Some indications of incapacitation may include lack of control over physical movements, lack of awareness of circumstances or surroundings, or the inability to communicate. Learn more about consent.
• Trust your instincts. If you feel unsafe on campus, contact USU Police at 435-797-1939 for a safety escort. Allow for up to a 20-30 minute wait time.
• More than 90% of sexual assaults on USU’s campus are perpetrated by someone the victim knows, and crime victims are never responsible for the behavior of perpetrators. Know the myths and realities of sexual assault. 
• If you’ve been sexually assaulted, there are on- and off-campus resources ready to help you. If you are not ready to report to police or to the university through the Title IX office, visit with a confidential advocate or counselor. Find sexual assault resources. 

You are receiving this timely warning notice as part of the university’s commitment to providing campus-area crime information, in compliance with the federal Clery Act (Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act). Learn more about USU’s timely warning notices.

Chief Mike Kuehn, Chief of Police
USU Police and Public Safety Director