By Robyn Walters
WASHINGTON – Fresh out of her weekly yoga class, Capt. Rima Sifri from the American University Police Department sat drinking her flavor pack infused water and snacking on a protein bar. With her hectic and fast-paced job, it’s moments like these that Sifri loves.
As the point-person for many victim services on American’s campus, Sifri’s job is often working with survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. That task can be both physically and mentally draining, so Sifri makes sure to take time for herself.
“I try to come in by 8:30 a.m. and by 3:30 p.m., I like to go to the gym, work out for an hour and come back,” Sifri said, still in her workout gear.
Beginning her career at American 15 years ago, Sifri has become a vital part of campus. Between faculty, staff and students, Sifri has made herself known as a person always willing to give a helping hand.
Yoo-Jin Kang, the coordinator for alcohol and other drugs at the Health Promotion and Advocacy Center for American, believes Sifri is an excellent person to have on campus. She has worked with Sifri on several projects and knows from experience how eager to she is to help. Calling her “smart, helpful and big-hearted,” Kang believes that Sifri is one of the best resources for students.
“She makes it very, very known that she wants to help her students,” Kang said.
Sifri learned the importance of being a kind and supportive person from her parents.
“My parents had always been very warm and generous to their friends,” Sifri said, “To see them help people in a time of need … it was something I not only wanted to help with on that scale but on a bigger scale where I can effectively change the path of someone’s life.”
Her parents are what inspired Sifri to become a police officer.
She began career as a police officer at the University of Maryland. She went through the police academy there and graduated seventh in her class. She stayed at UMD for a year but left and went into security. She then went to work for another police department as a records manager and she eventually found her way to American,
“When I landed here, I knew this is where I was supposed to be,” Sifri said with a grin on her face.
In June, Sifri was promoted to police captain of American’s police department. She’s the first female to be promoted to that position since Sifri arrived at American 15 years ago. Being a female leader in a male-dominated field has proved not to be an issue for Sifri.
“I’ve never felt less than my male counterparts,” Sifri said.
Instead, being a female officer has proved to be extremely helpful for Sifri. She can relate to her female clients more than the male officers and is often brought in to make students, especially women, feel safer.
Ginger Schwarz, a sophomore at American, believes that more women should be in positions of power, especially in police forces.
“Personally, I am more comfortable with female figures, just like how I am with my mom, so if I were ever in trouble, I feel like it would be an easier conversation with a female officer than a male.”
Sifri is actively involved in the Office of Advocacy Services for Interpersonal and Sexual Violence, or OASIS, where she works with survivors of sexual assault. She is able to help survivors by providing a shoulder to cry on and legal support.
Pritma “Mickey” Irizarry, director of the Health Promotion & Advocacy Center, which oversees OASIS, often works with Sifri. The two met when Irizarry first joined American’s campus in 2016 in a staff leadership council. Since then, they worked together on several projects, including Take Back the Night, a protest held every year to end sexual assault and violence.
Irizarry said, “To have a female officer, who’s also a captain, that is felt in victim services is just is win-win.”
Sifri’s passion and determination to end sexual violence comes from the fact that she is a survivor herself. When she encounters a student who was sexually assaulted, Sifri is able to help them through their pain by telling them her story, how she rose above the situation and that they will too.
“I am the victim’s advocate, and 90% of my clientele are, unfortunately, women, so being able to identify with what they have gone through has been a tremendous help,” she said.
When discussing her sexual assault from when she was still a teenager, Sifri said, “All of that happened for a reason. That helps me understand more of what students are going through.”
Captain Rima Sifri from the American University Police Department sits in the department conference room on a short break from her fast-paced job. Sifri has been with the department for 15 years and was recently the first female officer promoted to the position of captain.
(Photo by Robyn Walters)