New York State Police Open a Sexual Assault Hotline for Students

In a major move to help victims of sexual assault, New York state police have started a dedicated phone line to report assaults that take place on college campuses.

Students who wish to report a sexual assault can call 1-844-845-7269 and speak with a trained expert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's an effort to connect crime victims with state police so authorities can take action. According to the Associated Press, state officials said that 95% of crimes against young women on campus are unreported to police, and that 90% of rapes on campus are committed by 3% of male students.

Last year, all 64 campuses of the State University of New York put together a unified policy against sexual assault; the policy redefines consent as a clear, affirmative agreement between sexual partners. Governor Cuomo wants to extend that policy to private universities in the state as well.