Pepper Spray Donation to Rape Treatment Center in Miami, FL

June 23, 2009 - PRLog -- WomenOnGuard.com donated pepper spray to The Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center. The Center is part of the Public Health Trust of Miami-Dade County, Florida, which also operates Jackson Health System, including Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Pompano Beach, FL, June 23, 2009. WomenOnGuard.com recently moved it’s corporate office to Pompano Beach, FL. The website sells non-lethal, self defense products such as Mace, pepper spray, stun guns, Tasers and personal alarms. It donates on a regular basis to women’s crisis centers or a similar cause around the nation.

The Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center (RTC) was chosen for the websites donation after statistics provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement showed that Miami and surrounding areas had the highest numbers in rape by force. State investigators say that 10,823 forcible sex offenses were reported in the State of Florida last year alone. Of the total Florida offenses, 1,294 of them were in Miami, Dade County area and 640 assaults were rapes by force. RTC provides a comprehensive approach to the care and treatment of victims of sexual assault or abuse. They have a Crisis Unit, Counseling Unit and other departments to improve and enhance the quality of life of these victims. Cynthia Sinclair, Director of Operations for RTC, mentioned that the timing for the pepper spray donation was great because a woman recently had come into the center asking for pepper spray. She was glad that they would now be able to give pepper spray to any woman requesting some sort of extra protection item.  

Regarding the number of rapes in South Florida, Susan Eaton, co-owner of WomenOnGuard.com mentioned: “These statistics are very alarming. Miami is suppose to be a fun, easy, warm place to live, work or vacation. Rape statistics such as these will deter people from coming or living in Miami. Dade County is not the only place with high rape statistics; Broward and Palm Beach County statistics are pretty high too. Men, but mostly women, are the victims and the figures provided by investigators include only the cases reported. There are countless assaults that go unreported because of shame or fear.”

WomenOnGuard.com’s other owner, Martha Z. Martinez, informed that it is a well-known fact that sexual assaults are more prominent during vacation times. Summer and the winter Holidays, such as New Years, have the highest incidents of rapes. People are more vulnerable because they let their guard down, socialize more and sometimes are drinking alcohol, which impairs their judgment. Rapists know this and they take advantage of the situation. She wants to urge women to take extra precautions against assaults this summer and to be more aware of their surroundings, not just during social events, but while exercising and enjoying the outdoors too.

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WomenOnGuard.com sells non-lethal, self defense products such as stun guns, pepper spray, mace, tasers, home protection, security cameras and personal alarms. WomenOnGuard.com also offers hotlines, safety tips, helpful links and a blog.