Officers from the Evanston Police Department, among them Chief Richard Eddington, will participate in a walk Sunday to raise awareness about sexual assault.

The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, hosted by the Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault, was created last year to spread awareness about sexual assault and abuse cases — only 30 percent of which are reported to the police. Proceeds from the walk help fund Northwest CASA, which provides free services such as counseling, advocacy and community education programs.

While men, women and children are invited to participate in the walk, which extends just a mile and originates at Centennial Park in Wilmette, Illinois, men are encouraged to wear red high heels that will be distributed by Northwest CASA. The red heels are a symbol for the International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence.

This will be the second year Evanston police will participate in the event, Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said.

Dugan said it’s important for members of the Evanston community to see officers outside their roles as police enforcing the law.

“When you get to know an officer in non-law enforcement activities, it just causes you to see things in a different light and brings people closer together,” Dugan said. “It brings a more human element to both sides.”

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @marissahpage