CPSO detective attends training in Boston

Portland State Campus Public Safety Office Detective Matt Horton is in charge of investigating all reports of sexual assault that occur on campus. Horton has almost 30 years of experience as a police officer, much of it doing investigative work.

In mid-March Horton had the opportunity to attend the weeklong Sexual Assault Investigator’s Certification course at Boston University Medical Campus. The course focuses on a victim-centered investigation style, where officers investigate with the best interests of the victim in mind, being supportive and cooperative with the victim without forcing them to share information, Horton said.

“It’s the goal of PSU to have a collaborative effort [in sexual assault investigations] to see that the victim is supported and compassionately treated,” he said.

It was important to find a training that wasn’t one-sided, CPSO Chief Phil Zerzan said.

“We looked for training that represented the best practices and incorporated a collaborative approach including medical [examination], criminal justice and victim advocacy,” he said.

The course also covered the areas of drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual assault of people who are developmentally or physically disabled and sexual assault of the elderly. Victimology—the selection and cultivation of potential victims—was also covered in the course.

One of the reasons this training was selected for Horton is that he wanted to be up to date on the best contemporary practice for sexual assault investigations, he said.

“Over the years I’ve taken many different types of [investigative] training[s], and this course supplements all of that,” Horton said. “The skills they taught were all appropriate to my job assignment, and the application of those skills will benefit someone who’s been a victim of a sexual assault here [at PSU].”