At CWU The Defense Doesn’t Rest – Not With This Chief On The Job

Meet the man whose primary focus is keeping our kids safe when they head off to Ellensburg to attend Central Washington University (CWU).

The Chief of the campus police department is a 19-year CWU veteran named Jason Berthon-Koch. (rhymes with took)

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Hall Of Fame For Student Safety

We recently posted a story about some special Hall of Fame recognition for the Chief's years of providing self-defense training, primarily for female students attending CWU.

National statistics say that among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.

Looking Out For The Women

Think about that...one out of every four females attending college a victim, that seems unbelievable.  Do you have a daughter, granddaughter, or niece who is graduating from high school this year and is excited about her next adventure of going away to college?  She may have the grades to succeed, the discipline to study, and the maturity to moderate her personal behavior but what does she know about keeping herself safe from the bad behavior of others?

Chief Berthon-Koch decided years ago that he wanted to provide skills and information to help better prepare the students under his charge with the kind of self-assurance and basic physical techniques required to help avoid or stop threats to their safety.

Growing the Good

Over time, the Chief has implemented a number of different classes including advanced self-defense techniques, assertiveness, and classes for senior citizens.

Chief Jason Berthon-Koch was a radio guest this morning and he talked about the R.A.D. systems program that he's used to train hundreds of other trainers around the state.