Restaurants and bars at some of the major ski resorts in western Colorado will train their employees to prevent sexual assault or domestic violence, the Response organization said on Monday.
The training, led by local consultants and with the participation of the police departments of each city, will train restaurant staff to “identify dangerous situations” that usually precede sexual assaults.
The project will begin in the coming weeks in the city of Aspen, where, according to information released by Response, the combination of “social gatherings where alcohol is readily available” with a context dedicated to tourism can create an environment conducive to a sex offender “selects, isolates and incapacitates” its victims.
Restaurant workers will be trained to detect the first signs of a possible harassment or assault situation, such as giving a person excessive drinking or separating them from the group with which they entered the place.
Employees could ask the person about their relationship with the alleged assailant or they could ask the intervention of the group with which they arrived.
In addition, workers will be trained to implement strategies so that no one drinks alcohol to the point of being unable to give their consent to what they want to do.
Restaurants will display posters indicating that staff have been trained and the Response telephone number or any other organization that helps victims of sexual assault or domestic violence will be provided.
Similarly, the training includes a protocol of action in case of a sexual attack.
The project seeks to make restaurants safe places for women, to make men aware of their responsibility to intervene and provide resources for victims, including medical or psychological treatment and assistance in dealing with and understanding judicial procedures.
According to Response, in the first nine months of this year there have been 197 reported sexual assault in Aspen, with 92 victims who had to be assisted.
