The Greater Sudbury Police Service were in the crosshairs of some social media outrage on Wednesday after a photo of their online non-emergency reporting poster was circulated.
Among the crimes classified as "non-emergency" was sexual assault. Including sexual assault among crimes like breaking and entering a shed, stolen licence plates and graffiti angered hundreds of people online, who were quick to post that it seemed local police don't view sex crimes seriously.
One Facebook post on the Valley East page garnered more than 225 comments, many of which calling the list unacceptable and insensitive.
That post reads in part, "So, being sexually assaulted is no more serious than someone spraying graffiti on a wall, or someone breaking into my shed. Nice. THIS is why people don't report."
Another Facebook user commented, "Sexual assault is non-emergency? Really, it's in the same category as graffiti...this is a joke right?"
As comments continued to pour in on the post, people began to analyze the list in closer detail, noting that unsafe driving concern was also included.
"That’s crazy! Also unsafe driving? So if a drunk is swerving all over the road I’m to go home and report it online?"
Another reads, "'Threats' should be an issue too... how many domestic abuse victims will sit there in fear of their life and sit down at a computer to ask for help..."
Amid the backlash, Greater Sudbury Police issued a statement Thursday morning, indicating that sexual assault will be removed from the list and will have its own marketing materials.
"We are aware of the negative response surrounding an information poster for our online reporting options," said a GSPS statement. "The intention of the poster was to demonstrate the various online reporting options that we have made available to our community; however we recognize that this is not the message that has been delivered.
"In no way did we mean to convey that Sexual Assault is not serious, in fact, it is quite the opposite. Sexual assault is the most under reported crime and we have been working diligently with our community partners in order to change that."
The police service also noted that over the past two months they have seen a substantial increase in the number of sexual assaults reported online, many of them leading to arrests.
"We do not want to diminish the importance of this option to survivors," said the GSPS statement.
Sudbury.com reached out to GSPS for further comment and after first agreeing to an interview, reversed course and indicated that their prepared statement would be their only media correspondence on the matter.
You can find the entire GSPS statement below.
