Agencies join to combat stalking
By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
Advertiser library photo
Stalking, said state Attorney General Mark Bennett, is a crime of terror — and a potentially fatal one. To combat it, several agencies are joining to inform and assist victims and educate law enforcers and advocates.
Attorney General Mark Bennett says one in 12 women will be stalked at some point in their lives.
"It is one part threat," Bennett said of the crime, "and one part waiting for the threat to be carried out."
Bennett said his office had joined forces with the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse & Legal Hotline, Verizon Wireless and other community partners in an effort to combat stalking in Hawai'i.
Each of the state's law enforcement agencies also is participating, and officers and victim advocates will get training on how to recognize stalking as a criminal pattern of behavior instead of seeing each act separately, Bennett said.
Kits are available to help stalking victims collect information about incidents and get help quickly when danger seems imminent.
To obtain a kit, call the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse at 531-3771 or toll free from the Neighbor Islands at (800) 690-6200.
One in 12 women and one in 45 men will be stalked at some point in their lives, according to the attorney general. Victims often know the stalkers.
Anti-stalking kits offered
Nearly 80 percent of women who were murdered were stalked before their deaths, local officials said.
Many people who seek help through the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse & Legal Hotline have been stalked, said executive director Nanci Kreidman.
"We are very concerned about the prevalence of women being stalked in Hawai'i," she said. "Our goal is to increase awareness and provide women with the information they need to protect themselves.
"Many, many victims who are killed have been stalked, and possibly haven't known what to do, what to name it, how to reach out for help," she said.
The goal of the campaign, launched after the Legislature passed a bill strengthening stalking laws, is to teach stalking victims how to get help, and law enforcement how to help them, she said.
The "Stop Stalking" campaign includes distribution of "Stop Stalking" kits provided through donations by Verizon Wireless and packed in a bag donated by You and Me Naturally of Waipahu.
In addition to a cell phone, the kits contain a flashlight, memo pad and pen and other tools to document the stalker's behavior.
Reach Karen Blakeman at 535-2430 or kblakeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.
