People often refer to criminal harassment as stalking. Victims often feel powerless, overwhelmed, confused, isolated, and afraid to leave their home. A stalker can be anyone, such as a former partner, friend, co-worker, roommate, client, employee, fellow student, or a total stranger.
You may be dealing with criminal harassment if you are concerned, worried or afraid because someone is threatening or following you, your children, family members or friends.
Other examples of criminal harassment
- watching or tracking you, your children, or others close to you
- threatening to harm or damage your property or pets
- calling you repeatedly, hanging up or not speaking when you answer
- calling your children, family members, friends or co-workers, asking about you
- sending you things you don’t want
Criminal harassment can also include vandalism or other minor criminal offences, if they are part of a deliberate pattern that leads the victim to fear for their safety.
Advice
- Keep a log or journal of all contact, including date, time, location, what happened, and what was said or written.
- If you have received the harassment on an electronic device, take a screenshot and do not delete texts, emails or messages (make a note of the date and time received).
- Check the privacy settings on all of your social media accounts to ensure you are only allowing access to people you know.
When you are reporting
- Call 911 if your immediate safety is at risk, otherwise call our non-emergency line at 604-717-3321.
- Police will ask for the history of the relationship, contact details, and whether offender is aware that the contact is unwanted.
- Officers will either speak with offender to halt contact, serve them a warning letter, or arrest them, depending on the circumstances.
