The ACU Police Department hosted a condensed self-defense seminar April 17 to show support for Sexual-Assault Awareness Month. The seminar was set up to show students a demonstration of a two-night course that was offered through the police department.

“You can talk about awareness, and you can talk about dating situations, and you can even talk about attacks,” said ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison. “The value of this course is to take all of those and wrap them into one and provide hands-on experience.”

The Rape Aggression Defense program, also know as R.A.D., is a self-defense program offered that aims to give the participates hands-on experience in defense. This is a nationwide program that requires the instructors to be certified by attending conventions each year. ACUPD Lieutenant Randy Motz and Sergeant Sheila Barton saw the R.A.D. program at a campus police convention and decided to bring it to campus.

In the future, the police department hopes to offer R.A.D. classes a couple of times per semester. The program offers a chance for participants to put on the gloves and learn how to stop someone from attacking them. The police department hopes to reach out to the incoming freshmen classes by making them aware of the class during Wildcat Week because they believe that the program is worthwhile.

“As a father and a career police officer, I know the reality of the risks and dangers that are out there for college-age women,” Ellison said. “These courses are valuable and could become something that helps ward off attackers.”