The CU Police Department helps to ensure that victims of crime have support. At the University of Colorado Boulder there are many dedicated support resources for victims and survivors.
CUPD has an Embedded CU Police Department Victim Advocate. This position is a collaboration between the CU Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) and CUPD that started in June 2021. The Embedded Victim Advocate can co-respond with officers, support detectives doing investigations, follow up on cases CUPD is handling and outreaches on police reports to support victims of crime as they interact with CU police department. The goal of this position is to support victims, help them know their rights and options, receive follow-up with the criminal process and to be a bridge to other resources. The embedded police advocate is not a confidential resource and will refer victims/survivors to OVA for confidential support.
CU Boulder also provides services through the Office of Victim Assistance (OVA). This office provides free and confidential support, consultation, advocacy and short-term trauma counseling to CU Boulder students, graduate students, staff and faculty who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic, disturbing or life-disrupting event, including but not limited to crime. This office can also offer support for those who are helping a friend, partner, family member or colleague through a traumatic experience. One does not have to be engaged with CUPD services to use OVA services and OVA is a separate department from CUPD.
Please note: OVA does not investigate or make official judgements related to cases. To learn more about OVA’s confidential services visit: www.colorado.edu/ova
You can learn more about the CU Police Department Victim Advocate by reading this article.