The PCC Police Department zeroed in on stalking at its first of many planned presentations, focusing on campus safety issues on March 25.Lt. Brad Young listed the factors that would constitute as legitimate stalking.
“A lot of people mistake what stalking is,” Young said. “Is there a threat or is it just bothersome?”
Young said that just one person bothering another isn’t grounds for a case because there is no such crime called “harassing.”
Even if anyone tries to present a case such as annoyance by means of electronic device, it is a low-grade misdemeanor which can result in six months probation if convicted.
His suggestion is to assess the threat presented.
According to Young, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will recognize a potential stalking case if “a person willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly followed or harassed another person,” and also if “the person following or harassing made a credible threat.”
In conjunction, Young noted a vast combination in regards to relationships involved stalking.
“From instructor to instructor, student to instructor, student to student,” Young listed. “Sometimes even cases with instructor to student or even stranger to student.”
A case in 2004 was described to the presentation and involved a former PCC teacher who believed she was being stalked by one of her students.
Young, the lead investigator of this case, said that the victim noticed that this student was enrolled in all of her sections and was failing. In addition, the student was leaving notes and cards for her, and even went as far as sending her e-mails and voicemails to her phone.
The case was at its peak when the victim had moved out of state to marry.
Days later, the student casually showed up at the teacher’s doorstep having driven from California to the East Coast.
The student was arrested when she returned to California but the case against her was rejected because there was no apparent threat.
Young added that stalkers don’t follow their victims around out of maliciousness.
“It’s not like a spiteful ex-wife or ex-husband,” Young said.
“Most of the times, they do this because they may like or actually love you which is why they don’t necessarily threaten their victims.
Lt. Brad Young talks about safety and stalking issues to PCC staff members on March 25. (Steven Valdez)
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