By Bill Parry
Stalkers in the borough are about to be targeted by the city, the NYPD and the Queens district attorney with the implementation of a program that has proved successful elsewhere in the city.
Law enforcement identification of stalking cases increased 233 percent during the Coordinated Approach to Preventing Stalking program’s first year on Staten Island in 2014.
CAPS aims to increase the identification and reporting of stalking incidents, enhance stalking arrests and prosecution, and link stalking victims to services through the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence. The program will roll out in four precincts, the 101st, 103rd, 105th and 113th, all of which have a high incidence of domestic violence.
Calling domestic violence a “stain on our city,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said CAPS is critical to eradicating the problem.
“The troubling but true data on stalking tells us that the more cases identified by law enforcement, the fewer homicides we’ll suffer in this city,” de Blasio said. “I am confident that the capable and committed people at the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, the Queens district attorney’s office and the NYPD will make the same commitment to reducing stalking in Queens.”
CAPS places the emphasis on early intervention rather than waiting until stalking escalates, officials say. It is a homicide prevention program, linking stalking victims to critical services before a pattern of behavior escalates to physical assault or homicide.
National statistics show that 54 percent of all homicide victims reported stalking to police before they were killed by their intimate partner. The CAPS program will eventually be implemented citywide.
“It is very important to protect those vulnerable to domestic abuse and to train our force on how to identify and handle conduct that constitutes stalking,” City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) said. “I am very pleased to have this anti-stalking initiative come to Queens and I’m looking forward to the good work it will do.”
As part of the implementation of CAPS in Queens, specialized training will be conducted for NYPD police officers, members of the DA’s office and community partners on how to identify stalking behavior, better understand stalking statutes, recognize the role technology plays, engage in risk assessment and safety planning, and work with victims to document and preserve evidence of stalking incidents.
“It is great to see a program that has had such a positive impact in other parts of the city come to Queens,” City Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) said. “This is an opportunity to shine a light on domestic violence issues that exist within our community and address a serious problem in a holistic manner.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
