Stalking: Guides & Reports

Bringing Victims into Community Policing
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), September 2002. 
This publication focuses on the role of crime victims in advancing community policing. It includes "first responder" guides to dealing with victims, a "model" policy for the prevention of repeat victimization, and the benefits of developing relationships between the police, crime victims, and victim organizations.

Creating an Effective Stalking Protocol
National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), September 2002. 
This monograph is designed to help law enforcement agencies improve their responses to stalking. It focuses on the need to establish collaborative partnerships with the community and to develop protocols to help law enforcement address stalking more effectively. The COPS Office funded the National Center for Victims of Crime to develop and field-test a Model Stalking Protocol. The Philadelphia Police Department tested the Protocol. This publication addresses how law enforcement agencies can implement a Model Stalking Protocol for early intervention, preventive action, and proactive problem solving in stalking cases.

Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Antistalking Legislation 
National Institute of Justice (NIJ), March 1996. 
This first annual report was compiled primarily from a review of published literature about stalking and violence against women (particularly studies and reports commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice), discussions with researchers and practitioners involved in reducing violence against women; and case law analysis of antistalking laws. It presents currently available information about the crime of stalking as it occurs between domestic partners, strangers, acquaintances, and coworkers, with special emphasis on stalking as it relates to domestic violence.

Domestic Violence and Stalking
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), July 1997. 
This report on stalking is the second annual report to Congress providing information concerning the incidence of stalking and the effectiveness of antistalking efforts and legislation as required under the provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Enforcement of Protection Orders
Office for Victims of Crime, January 2002.
This bulletin provides an overview of state laws and current issues related to the enforcement of protective orders. Although protective orders are most often thought of in conjunction with domestic violence, state legislatures have advocated their use to restrict stalking conduct, prevent abuse of elderly or disabled individuals and children, and protect crime victims and witnesses from harassment by defendants.

Links in the Chain: Two Communities Respond to Stalking (Discussion Guide) 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), July 2005. 
This discussion guide and the companion 20-minute video are excellent training and educational tools for all levels of law enforcement, victim service providers, and community stakeholders seeking to develop multidisciplinary, collaborative responses to the serious problem of stalking. The video, which defines stalking, how it often occurs, and how to respond to it, can be used in conjunction with training that focuses on community policing, victim safety, and community collaboration.

Links in the Chain: Two Communities Respond to Stalking (Video CD-ROM) 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), July 2005. 
This discussion guide and the companion 20-minute video are excellent training and educational tools for all levels of law enforcement, victim service providers, and community stakeholders seeking to develop multidisciplinary, collaborative responses to the serious problem of stalking. The video, which defines stalking, how it often occurs, and how to respond to it, can be used in conjunction with training that focuses on community policing, victim safety, and community collaboration.

Police-Community Partnerships to Address Domestic Violence
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), March 2006. 
Through the community policing philosophy and its practices, some law enforcement agencies are seeking to improve their effectiveness in dealing with the problem of domestic violence by forming police-community partnerships to enhance their response options. PERF, with funding from the COPS Office, explored the nature, function, and impact of such police-community partnerships. The research shows that partnerships between police and community partners have made improvements in the way that agencies communicate with each other and in how they focus their energies on improving the safety of victims of domestic violence. This publication highlights such initiatives around the country that can be replicated to better address domestic violence.

Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence: A Law Enforcement Officer's Guide to Enforcing Orders of Protection Nationwide
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), September 2003. 
This booklet is a primer on orders of protection and "full faith and credit". Orders of protection are issued to ensure the safety of victims of domestic violence. "Full faith and credit" requires law enforcement officers to enforce valid orders across the boundaries of states, tribes, and territories.

Stalking
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), January 2004. 
This guide reviews the problem of stalking and the factors that contribute to it. It identifies a series of questions to help agencies analyze their local problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem of stalking and what is known about them from evaluative research and police practice.

Stalking and Domestic Violence: Report to Congress Under the Violence Against Women Act 
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), May 2001. 
This report to Congress by the U.S. Justice Department's Violence Against Women Office provides information on strategies that show promise in countering domestic violence and stalking, as well as the development of laws that address stalking.

Stalking Laws and Implementation Practices: A National Review for Policymakers and Parishioners 
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Institute for Law and Justice (ILJ), October 2001. 
Stalking is an important policy issue because it is a crime of terror that is far more common than most criminal justice professionals believe. Policy analysis of what needs to be done to improve anti-stalking investigation, prosecution, and provision of services to stalking victims is totally absent. This study analyzed stalking and related legislation in the 50 States, reviewed leading court decisions interpreting those laws, and conducted a survey of police and prosecutor agencies across the country to determine how the laws were being implemented.

Strengthening Antistalking Statutes 
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), February 2002. 
Stalking is a crime of intimidation. Stalkers harass and even terrorize through conduct that causes fear or substantial emotional distress in their victims. Although stalking behavior has been around for many years, it has been identified as a crime only within the past decade. Most laws at the State level were passed between 1991 and 1992. Significant variation exists among State stalking laws. This document describes antistalking statutes.

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