'Make your move' campaign aims to fight sexual assault

A series of new posters designed to catch the eye and prevent sexual assaults is going up in bars across the city.

The “Make your Move” posters are part of a new campaign from Edmonton intended to inspire discussion about sexual assaults in the city. Police hope to encourage bystanders, bar patrons and staff to step in when they see a situation that could turn out badly.

"I was buying her drinks, so she owed me … nothing," reads one of the four posters. Another reads: “I could tell she was asking for it ... to stop. So I told the guy to back off.”

“The message is simple: look out for each other – and when you’re out with friends, make sure everyone gets home safely,” Staff Sgt. Shawna Grimes with the sexual assault section of Edmonton Police said on Monday.

The edgy campaign originally started in Missoula, Mont., but was extended to Edmonton after it was decided the two cities shared a similar bar culture.

The poster campaign highlights the important role bystanders and friends can play in keeping people safe, Grimes compared it to the ‘Friends don’t let friends drink and drive campaign’ launched in the mid-1980s.

More recently, EPS created similar posters as part of its ‘Don’t be that guy’ campaign in 2010.

“The community is starting to talk about it, which is a great thing. And the more that happens, the more discussion around this and awareness, the better the situation is going to get – at least that’s my hope,” Grimes said.

The posters will be on display in 20 Edmonton bars and on all University of Alberta campuses from December -- 15 to January 11.

The campaign will also be featured on social media as well as through the EPS Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts.

Sexual assaults on the rise

Reports of sexual assaults in Edmonton have been climbing for the past few years, Grimes said.

In 2012, 337 assaults were reported; in 2013, there were 355. In 2014, 374 assaults had been reported by the end of November.

Grimes said the rise in assaults was likely a result of Edmonton’s rapid population increase, but may also mean that more victims are coming forward to report assaults.

She said she has also seen a gradual rise in the number of males reporting sexual assaults.

While she was not able to give an exact number, Grimes said a “large number” of reported assaults involved alcohol – making the launch of this newest campaign particularly timely.

“The holiday season is coming up so a lot of people are going to be off work or off school, and socializing out in the bars, so it’s a good time for [the campaign].”

Grimes said EPS typically places more officers around bars during the holidays.