Did they stalk someone before you? Did they batter someone before you? Know what you're dealing with. Knowledge is power. Click here for Criminal Records EVIDENCE When I was a kid, if one of the ladies in my neighborhood came over and told my mom that she saw me throw a rock at her cat, that would be all the evidence required for me to be found guilty and sentenced to an attitude tune-up. There was no such thing as "presumed innocent until proven guilty." It was "presumed" that every time I walked out the front door I was going to get into mischief and I better just hope nobody told on me. My mom wouldn't ask the neighbor lady if an independent witness had seen me throw the rock, if she had dusted the rock for my fingerprints and collected my DNA off of it, or if there were any veterinarian records showing the extent of injury suffered by the cat. No, Mrs. Thelma Lu Jones said it happened and her word alone proved it with more certainty than if it had been caught on surveillance video. Sometimes, as kids, our brother or sister would tell on us and we would get punished for something we didn't even do! I'm sure it has happened to you as well, and to tell the truth, I did the same thing to my brother and you probably did it to yours! Now we're in the adult world and we don't go to someone's mom when they hurt us, we go to the police. The police don't have the luxury of taking somebody's word for it because, and this may come as a shock, people lie to the police. Consequently we, the police and courts, require that people back up their words with evidence. If I was to ask someone what evidence is, they would probably think of the classic fingerprint or the smoking gun. Actually, evidence is anything that can be presented in court that would make a reasonable person believe that:      1. A crime had been committed, and      2. That the accused had committed it. Keep in mind, as you recall an event in which a crime was committed against you, that when you report it to the police we are going to ask you questions which are meant to discover what evidence may exist that will back up your story. You are generally our only source of evidence. We are going to ask you questions that may bring up evidence you didn't even think of. If we ask about evidence and you don't have any, or you show us what you think is evidence and we say it's not, don't get frustrated and think that we don't believe you. I have many times been convinced in my heart that a victim was telling the truth, but there just was not sufficient evidence for me to charge the suspect with a crime. There is a huge gap between believing something and being able to prove it. Most people today carry a cell phone. It is an amazing evidence collecting tool that you have with you at all times. Take a few minutes and read the owners manual and you will probably find that you can make an audio recording with it, take a picture, or even shoot a short video. Have some fun with it and record or video your friends and family, take several pictures. Once you know how to do it, erase enough so that you will have memory space available. Next time you have contact with your stalker, start recording immediately and don't stop until you are safely away. You will find it is pretty easy with a little practice. Keep it in the "no flash" mode so you don't reveal it to the suspect. If your cell phone doesn't have these functions, it's time to upgrade. If your home, car, or other property is being damaged when your not there, then clearly you need something more than a cell phone to collect evidence. You will probably have to go out and buy some surveillance equipment. Don't worry, it's not as difficult as you may think. I will give you a link to a site that has very good equipment that is easy to set up and use, and their prices are reasonable. At least check them out before you throw up your hands and decide it's easier to do nothing. This site has very covert cameras hidden in everyday objects like mirrors, clocks, and air fresheners. From an evidence collection viewpoint, you can't beat a camera mounted in a mirror because it's human nature to check your appearance every time you pass a mirror, thus giving a full face frontal of your stalker for the camera to record.  Different systems can be hooked to a VCR, or a computer for recording and viewing. Some have a built in DVR in a wristwatch or pen so you can record on the go. Very James Bond, but it may be what you need depending on your situation. This site also has multi camera systems if you want to point cameras at your car, front door, back door and interior. I would suggest that you get a system with wireless cameras because it's easier to put them anywhere you need them without having to run wires. There are systems that can link to the internet so that you can log onto it at work and see what is happening at home. Great for collecting evidence or as a nanny-camera. SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS As I present different laws and scenarios, I'm going to talk about the different types of evidence that help show that a crime was committed and the accused committed it. I'll point out the basics, but keep in mind that I'm just scratching the surface, evidence can be anything that points toward the suspect.