NCJ Number
226186
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 76 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2009 Pages: 30-31,33,35,37
Date Published
January 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the implementation and preliminary evaluation of the Philadelphia Police Department’s (PPD’s) pilot testing of the Model Stalking Protocol developed by the Stalking Resource Center of the National Center for Victims of Crime (the “National Center”).
Abstract
Although the PPD has not yet conducted formal research on the department-wide implementation of the Model Stalking Protocol, department leaders report positive effects from its implementation. Within a year of launching the pilot project in the Northeast Division, the number of stalking investigations in the division had increased significantly, and victim assistance organizations reported a greater ability to advise victims about the crime. The District Attorney’s Office reported improvements in the probable-cause affidavits and arrest warrants prepared after the training, and the number of stalking-related charges increased. One immediate result of the training was the elimination of many common misconceptions among officers about Pennsylvania’s stalking statute, the reporting process, serving petitions for protection from abuse, and prosecuting felony stalking cases. The training also corrected misconceptions about the grading of stalking offenses and prosecutors’ willingness to pursue felony charges in stalking cases. Another key outcome of the model’s implementation is that all PPD decisions, the District Attorney’s Office, and victim advocates are now delivering the same accurate, up-to-data information about stalking, the law, and department policies to colleagues and victims alike. The National Center’s Model Stalking Protocol summarizes definitions of stalking and other legal considerations, the basic elements of a law enforcement stalking response protocol, the elements of a stalking case and stalking behaviors, and the aspects of stalking cases that require law enforcement involvement with victims and advocates in order to protect victims and hold offenders accountable. 7 notes