Thursday marked Stalking Awareness Day, a crime that often goes underreported. According to the Washoe County Sheriffs Office (WCSO), the reason for the lack of reporting the crime to police is because victims feel ashamed, embarrassed or don't know what to do.
The day is all about education, resources and where to go when victims of stalking feel like they're being stalked.
"If someone's showing up sending you emails or text messages or phone calls or showing up to your work place that's something," Sheriff Darin Balaam from the WCSO said. "If they're not there you can call the non-emergency number but if you feel you're in fear of your life call us and we will respond."
The Sheriff said many people think stalkers are typically a secret admirer or stranger but usually it's someone you know. If you have a stalker that shows up to your work, use the buddy system with another co-worker and immediately report it to your local police department.
"Stalking is when someone willfully causes a reasonable person to feel intimidated or in fear," he said. "If that's what you're feeling you can file a report of a protection restraining order so there many options we can do and we can give you other signs of hw to protect yourself in your home traveling to and from or places you may frequent."
If you have a stalker who is calling you, the best thing you can do is block them or change your phone number or email. But if you are being stalked the most important thing you can do is let people know.
Sheriff Balaam said, "Often times what we see with victims is they don't let people know because they're embarrassed."
Stalking is more common thank people may think, one in three women are stalked and one in six men are also victims of stalking.
"There's multiple ways you can get stalked, you can be surveilled you can be followed they can show up not only at your place but family and friends houses, right that is still stalking," Sheriff Balaam explained.
Stalking Statistics:
- One in Five stalkers use weapons' against their victims
- 75% of stalking is through unwanted phone calls
- One in seven stalking victims relocate
- One in three stalkers have stalked before
- Approximately 13.5 million people are stalked in a year
