Colleges Trying to Get a Grip on Stalking

Do college students these days have to worry about stalking from other students? Cal State Fullerton Police Chief Judi King points out my question is too narrow:

Students hitting on students? Yes; but how about outsiders on students. Students on faculty. Faculty on students. Faculty on faculty. Staff on staff.

Cal State Fullerton, she said, has seen it all.

“We’re like our own city here,” she said. “We have the same problems of any other city.”

While most college campuses in Orange County report that stalking or harassment incidents don’t come in large numbers, almost all have at least some reported cases each year. King at Cal State Fullerton said she’s been surprised to see more such incidents there than at her previous policing job at Cal State Long Beach.

“We have probably at least a new one each month,” King said, “plus several ongoing cases that we have to address.”

But King and other college chiefs have a common message for students, faculty and staff: Do not hesitate to report it if someone on campus is making you feel uncomfortable.

“We actually solicit such calls,” said Chief John Farmer of Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. “Our goal is a safe campus where everyone feels secure.”

In most cases, the problem is resolved with the initial contact with the accused.

“In some instances, these individuals didn’t even know that what they were doing was creating a problem,” King said. “They’re embarrassed and cease immediately. But in most, the threat of facing criminal charges usually takes care of the problem.”

Sometimes, though, it’s necessary to call in city police, or a case reaches the district attorney’s office. King said some cases have remained a problem for as long as two years.

Stalking comes in many forms: driving by someone’s residence repeatedly, following someone around campus, or to the parking lot. Some send letters, make repeated phone calls, and now it’s computer e-mails.

Stalkers have been known to threaten their victims or damage their cars.

While I expected men to be the culprits, King reports that such stalkers are 50-50 men and women. Men are usually stalking fellow students. Women sometimes are stalking or harassing faculty.

“In some cases, these people are delusional and think the other person returns their feelings,” King said. “But we have had cases where someone stalked a faculty member over bad grades. They were made uncomfortable so they want the professor to know discomfort too.”

Cypress College public safety supervisor Dan Nava reports that most incidents there have been men stalking their former wives on campus, despite court orders to stay away from them.

“Some people pay no attention whatsoever to restraining orders,” Nava said.

One huge problem for all campus police: Most stalking incidents go unreported.

“Stalking is a relatively new crime,” UC Irvine Police Chief Kathy Hooven said. “I think some victims on campus just fail to realize that they have a recourse available to them.”

So don’t hesitate to call campus security if someone is bothering your comfort zone. The police there not only want your call, they’ll follow up to make sure you’re satisfied the problem is resolved.

After all, isn’t college tough enough just getting through classes?

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Readers may reach Hicks by calling (714) 564-1049 or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com.