The Department of Public Safety at Grand Valley State University wishes to help you resolve the stalking situation you have reported so you can move forward with your life.   Regardless of a past relationship, if any, you still have every right to insist that the stalking stop.  We offer the following suggestions in addition to the report you have already filed with our department:

• Seek a Personal Protection Order (PPO) through the Circuit Court (the investigating officer will provide additional information regarding this).
• Keep a journal of every time the stalker tries to follow, harm, or intimidate you.  Call the police to report additional stalking behavior as directed by the investigating officer.  Do not keep secrets about the stalker or his activities.  Report every encounter to someone immediately.
• Call the police if you suspect you are in danger.  Consider a cellular phone.
• Keep copies of all legal proceedings in a file for future reference.  Ask for copies of affidavits given to judges or magistrates.  Seek documents from shelters or other domestic violence programs to validate the amount of time spent there.
• Keep copies of answering machine tapes on which the stalker is recorded.  Ask the telephone company for help in tracing calls.  Invest in a Caller ID system, answering machine, or other recording devices.  Do not delete e-mail messages or cellular phone text messages.  Print the e-mail messages and turn them over to the investigating officer.
• Talk to witnesses to see if they will testify in court.
• Inform all neighbors, co-workers, receptionists, instructors, and security staff where you live or work.  Prepare them for the possibility that the stalker may look for you there, and ask them to support you.  Do the same with the key people in the organizations to which you may belong.  The moment that the stalker shows up in a work, school, or social setting is not the time to explain the situation to everyone.
• Give a description or photograph of the stalker, if you have one, to anyone who might ever see the person.  Write down the license numbers and descriptions of the stalker's vehicles.  Give this to your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers. 
• Seek support from people who understand.  Avoid people who minimize the problem and tell you that you are overreacting.  Tell someone where you are at all times and when you are expected to return.
• Do workouts with a "buddy" if you jog or belong to a health club (preferably someone who knows about the situation).  This will increase safety and also provide a witness if the stalker approaches.  Do not walk alone or jog at night.  Ask someone to walk with you to your car or at least watch you until you are safely in the car - never walk alone to your car.
• Refrain from retaliation of any kind, such as vandalism to the stalker's car or home.  Do not joke with others about wanting to kill the stalker.  This could be misconstrued and could be used against you later in court.
• Do not allow the stalker or the fear of the stalker to rule your life.  Fill your days with the people, places, and things that provide you comfort and joy.
• Consider RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) or alternate self-defense programs.
• Contact our department at (616) 331-3255 if you have any questions, concerns, or additional information.