Stalking is a crime that affects over 3 million people each year, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime. Many victims of stalking feel helpless and are unsure of how to stop the harassment. Though your first step when dealing with a stalker should be to contact the police, there are other things you can do to help your situation. A Tampa private investigator is a big asset to have when dealing with a stalker. A private investigator is trained to assess threats, gather evidence for a potential court case, and provide protection to a victim that is being threatened by a stalker.
What Defines Stalking?
Stalking is defined as a repetitive pattern of unwanted harassment, or threatening behavior from one person to another. Typically, these unwanted behaviors make the victim feel worried about their safety. Some general behaviors of a stalker may include:
- Making unwanted phone calls
- Sending harassing emails
- Following the victim
- Unwelcome surveillance of the victim
- Giving unwanted gifts (flowers, jewelry, etc.)
- Trespassing and/or breaking and entering
- Damaging the victim’s property
- Spreading false rumors about the victim
- Threatening to harm the victim, their friends or family, or themselves
Unfortunately, these behaviors can range from low intensity, to severe, to aggressive levels. Stalkers can be very unpredictable, making a victim’s best solution to rely on trained professionals for help and protection. Most of the behaviors that are listed above are not enough reason for law enforcement to charge a stalker. In most cases, nothing can be done until after a crime has been committed, which makes gathering evidence up to the victim. This is when a private investigator in Tampa will come into play.
How Can A Private Investigator Help?
There are multiple ways that Tampa private investigators can help victims of stalking. The first and most important way, is helping the victim to identify who is stalking them. In some cases, the victim might have no idea who their stalker is, or if they’ve seen them, making the victim unable to identify them. Private investigators have the right resources to correctly identify stalkers that harass their victims through the cyber world, letters, or even anonymous phone calls. Another vital service an investigator can provide to a stalking victim is collecting and gathering evidence against the stalker. This will help to support the victim’s claim during a court proceeding.
Hiring an Executive Protection Agent
In some severe stalking cases, an executive protection agent is needed to help protect a victim. For example, if the CEO of a company is being stalked by a former colleague, they may feel threatened for their life or the lives of their family. To avoid a stalker kidnapping or shooting their victim, an executive protection agent is vital.
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