Role of Stalking in Domestic Violence Crime Reports Generated by the Colorado Springs Police Department, 1998

This study examined the role of stalking in domestic
violence crime reports produced by the Colorado Springs Police
Department (CSPD). It provided needed empirical data on the prevalence
of stalking in domestic violence crime reports, risk factors
associated with intimate partner stalking, and police responses to
reports of intimate partner stalking. The study was conducted jointly
by the Justice Studies Center (JSC) at the University of Colorado at
Colorado Springs and the Denver-based Center for Policy Research
(CPR). JSC staff generated the sample and collected the data, and CPR
staff processed and analyzed the data. The sample was generated from
CSPD Domestic Violence Summons and Complaint (DVSC) forms, which were
used by CSPD officers to investigate crime reports of victims and
suspects who were or had been in an intimate relationship and where
there was probable cause to believe a crime was committed. During
January to September 1999, JSC staff reviewed and entered information
from all 1998 DVSC forms into a computerized database as part of the
evaluation process for Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team
(DVERT), a nationally recognized domestic violence prevention
program. A subfile of reports initiated during April to September 1998
was generated from this database and formed the basis for the study
sample. The DVSC forms contained detailed information about the
violation including victim and suspect relationship, type of violation
committed, and specific criminal charges made by the police
officer. The DVSC forms also contained written narratives by both the
victim and the investigating officer, which provided detailed
information about the events precipitating the report, including
whether the suspect stalked the victim. The researchers classified a
domestic violence crime report as having stalking allegations if the
victim and/or police narrative specifically stated that the victim was
stalked by the suspect, or if the victim and/or police narrative
mentioned that the suspect engaged in stalking-like behaviors (e.g.,
repeated following, face-to-face confrontations, or unwanted
communications by phone, page, letter, fax, or e-mail). Demographic
variables include victim-suspect relationship, and age, race, sex, and
employment status of the victim and suspect. Variables describing the
violation include type of violation committed, specific criminal
charges made by the police officer, whether the alleged violation
constituted a misdemeanor or a felony crime, whether a suspect was
arrested, whether the victim sustained injuries, whether the victim
received medical attention, whether the suspect used a firearm or
other type of weapon, whether items were placed in evidence, whether
the victim or suspect was using drugs and/or alcohol at the time of
the incident, number and ages of children in the household, whether
children were in the home at the time of the incident, and whether
there was a no-contact or restraining order in effect against the
suspect at the time of the incident.