3.2 Proclamation National Stalking Awareness MonthNational Stalking Awareness Month Proclamation
January 2022
WHEREAS, stalking is intentional harassment—a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person,
causing that person to feel fear and endangerment for themselves or their family. The variation in stalkingbehaviorrangesfromhang-up phone calls to more direct threats toward a victim. The likelihood of injuryincreaseswhenthestalkingbehaviorescalatesovertime;
WHEREAS, under the laws of Saline County, Kansas, and all jurisdictions in the U.S., stalking is a crime;
WHEREAS, the majority of victims are stalked by someone they know, typically an ex -dating partner oracquaintance, and 3 in 4 women killed by an intimate partner had been stalked by that same intimatepartner;
WHEREAS, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation reports that 127 protection from stalking orders werefiledinSalineCountyin2020;
WHEREAS, the statistics do not represent the true incidence and prevalence of stalking for multiplereasons, including not all victims report the crime to law enforcement, and stalking is a tactic of domestic
violence and sexual abuse, so it may not be reported as the primary form of abuse and victimizationalthoughthevictimhasexperiencedstalkingalongwithotherformsofabuse;
WHEREAS, many stalking victims are forced to protect themselves by relocating, changing theiridentities, changing jobs, and obtaining protection orders;
WHEREAS, many stalking victims lose time from work and experience serious psychological distressandlostproductivityatamuchhigherratethanthegeneralpopulation;
WHEREAS, communities can better combat stalking by raising awareness, adopting multidisciplinaryresponsesbyteamsoflocalagenciesandorganizations, and by providing more and better victim services; and
NOW, THEREFORE, the City of Salina Board of Commissioners does hereby proclaim January 2022 asNationalStalkingAwarenessMonth.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the City of Salina this 24thdayofJanuary, 2022.
Trent W. Davis, M.D., Mayor