Stalking the Stalker: A Review of Policing Strategies (From Hard Cop, Soft Cop: Dilemmas and Debates in Contemporary Policing, P 149-162, 2004, Roger Hopkins Burke, ed. -- See NCJ-206005)

• NCJ Number: 206015
• Author(s): Lorna White Sansom
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: Willan Publishing
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

After examining the nature of "stalking" and its consequences, this chapter discusses effective and ineffective police responses to it.

Abstract

"Stalking" is concisely defined by Pathe and Mullen (1997:12) as "a constellation of behaviors in which one individual inflicts on another repeated unwanted intrusions and communications." Stalking thus involves a subjective perception by the victim that he/she is being harassed to the point of distraction and anxiety, possibly escalating to fear of injury or death. From the policing perspective, the subjectivity of victim perceptions and reactions to stalking behavior can be addressed by reassuring the victim, recognizing the intrusive mechanisms of a stalking campaign, and providing the victim with security advice and methods of collecting potential evidence. Positive developments in the policing of stalking behavior have been linked to a guide written by Brown (2000) that brings police officers through the diverse processes of acknowledging and addressing stalking. The usefulness and importance of Great Britain's Protection From Harassment Act 1997 are emphasized in the guide. The use of warnings as an intervention mechanism are advocated to deter further harassment. By such police actions, the victim is reassured that the complaint is being taken seriously by the police, and the offender has been made aware that the behavior is causing harassment, which if continued will lead to arrest and prosecution under the Protection From Harassment Act. Some police forces, notably the Los Angeles Police Department, have established antistalking units. The Threat Management Unit (TMU) of the Los Angeles Police Department receives referrals, and stalking victims are provided with safety information and encouraged to keep a log that details the stalking behavior. Repeat victimization is "flagged" for more intensive work. Awareness of the link between stalking and domestic violence is particularly important, since a stalker's violent behavior toward the victim in a previous intimate relationship poses a high risk for more violence by the stalker when the victim leaves the relationship.