August 15, 2003

San Francisco State University's longtime police chief was recently tapped by Gov. Gray Davis to sit on the newly created California Campus Sexual Assault Task Force.

Kimberly Wible brings extensive law enforcement experience and her expertise in campus sexual assault policies and enforcement to the task force. Established last year by the State Legislature, the 15-member task force will assess how California's college and university campuses respond to incidences of sexual assault.

The goal is to design a uniform system for gathering information pertaining to sexual assaults and create a set of guidelines to address sexual assault issues at colleges and universities.

"I hope to help create a plan that will not only be useful but also mandated at all California college campuses," said Wible, SFSU's police chief since 1988.

Wible oversees the collection of data by the campus to comply with the Jeanne Cleary Act, which requires colleges and universities nationwide to publish a detailed annual report that contains three years worth of campus crime statistics and certain security policy statements.

SFSU's sexual assault policy includes a Sexual Assault Response Team consisting of representatives from campus police, Student Health Service, Office of Student Affairs, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the SAFE (Sexual Abuse Free Environment) Place. Once a sexual assault is reported, the team meets to begin investigating the case and provide support for the victim.

Wible has presented the University's policy at professional conferences and it has become a model for other campuses. She believes some elements of the University's policy would fit well in the statewide model.

"A plan should not only include members of the campus' police department," said Wible, who joined the SFSU force in 1980. "Programs to encourage victims to report sexual assault should also be developed."

In addition to her police chief duties, Wible serves as the police coordinator for the 23-campus California State University system. She's also a member of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administration, the Women Peace Officer Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the California Campus Police Chiefs and the California Peace Officers Association.

She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from CSU Chico and a juris doctor degree from San Francisco School of Law.

Wible, 45, lives in San Rafael with daughters Ashley, 11, and Ali, 6.

-- Matt Itelson

1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132    (415) 338-1111
Last modified August 15, 2003, by the Office of Public Affairs