CHICAGO — A group of Chicago aldermen are asking for answers from police when it comes to cyberstalking.
It all centers on an investigation conducted by the Chicago Tribune. That report delved in to one specific case about a woman named Dominque Ward. She told her story to the paper, and relayed it again in part to council Wednesday morning.
“I have been a victim of cyberstalking and domestic violence for three years. I’ve had to live my life in fear, figuring out who is watching me,” she said.
Ward says her ex and father of their 3-year-old twin daughters has violated an order of protection on numerous occasions and that she has endured multiple instances of harassment and abuse online from him, predominantly through Facebook.
The Tribune reportedly spoke with that man who is quoted in the article as saying – “I want her to worry about who’s waiting on the corner whenever she walks outside.”
The article goes on to say last year more than 800 people in Chicago reported being electronically harassed or cyberstalked by someone they know and that of that number, only nine complaints, or 1-percent of cases resulted in an arrest.
That information, is prompting aldermen like Andre Vasquez and Nicole to call for a hearing on CPD’s protocol when it comes to cases like this.
“The laws we have in place are good laws. It’s incumbent upon us to provide support needed,” Lee said. “We want to hear from the police department about how they’ve handled these cases and what they may need. The laws are no good if we don’t supply the resources to enforce them.”
The Chicago Police Department issued a statement that said: “The Chicago Police Department takes domestic violence cases, including electronic harassment and cyberstalking cases, seriously. These investigations are complex and difficult based on the evidence available. As we work to seek justice in these cases, we also are working to support the victims and connect them with resources specifically focused on those who have experienced the trauma of domestic violence.”
A resolution calling for a hearing on this matter is expected to be introduced at city council later Wednesday.