Campus Police Investigations Tier 5: Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Technology-Facilitated Abuse

Campus Police Criminal Investigations Track

Campus Police Investigations Tier 5: Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Technology-Facilitated Abuse

Recognizing Patterns, Developing Evidence, and Assessing Threats

Class Description

Stalking investigations present significant challenges for campus police, particularly when unwanted conduct occurs across physical and digital environments, consists of repeated but seemingly minor incidents, or escalates over time. An isolated encounter, electronic message, or apparent relationship dispute may be one part of a broader pattern of conduct.

This standalone course provides campus police officers and investigators with practical strategies for identifying, investigating, and documenting stalking, cyberstalking, and technology-facilitated abuse in college and university settings. Participants will examine applicable criminal elements, fixation, threats, surveillance, repeated unwanted contact, impersonation, location tracking, and the use of third parties or online platforms.

Special attention will be given to establishing a course of conduct, developing chronological evidence, lawfully preserving and obtaining digital records, assessing escalation and safety concerns, and investigating cases involving acquaintances, former intimate partners, classmates, coworkers, and unidentified individuals.

Through a realistic campus-based case scenario, officers will identify investigative leads, evaluate evidence and threats, and consider appropriate coordination with prosecutors, external law enforcement, Title IX personnel, and campus threat assessment partners.

Topics Covered

• Criminal stalking elements, course-of-conduct requirements, and distinctions from noncriminal harassment
• Fixation, repeated unwanted contact, threats, surveillance, and possible escalation
• Cyberstalking, impersonation, location tracking, and technology-facilitated abuse
• Lawful preservation, acquisition, and authentication of electronic communications and digital evidence
• Trauma-informed interviews, evidence timelines, suspect identification, and corroboration
• Threat assessment, protective orders, safety planning, and campus coordination

Learning Objectives

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

1. Distinguish potential stalking offenses from isolated incidents using applicable course-of-conduct elements.
2. Develop evidence-based strategies for investigating physical and technology-facilitated stalking.
3. Create timelines documenting repeated conduct, digital activity, and possible escalation.
4. Identify appropriate interview, digital evidence, and corroboration practices while maintaining investigative neutrality.
5. Recognize threat indicators and explain appropriate criminal justice and campus safety coordination.

Who Should Attend

Sworn campus police officers, investigators, detectives, supervisors, police chiefs, and law enforcement personnel who investigate stalking, threats, and technology-facilitated misconduct.

Recommended Experience Level: Foundational to Intermediate. Designed for patrol officers, investigators, and supervisors who receive, investigate, or review reports of stalking and technology-facilitated conduct. Experience levels are guidance rather than prerequisites.

Certification

Attendees of this class will receive a certificate of completion from D. Stafford & Associates. Certification verifies attendance at this class and can serve as an institution’s documentation that the attendee has received Campus Police Investigations: Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Technology-Facilitated Abuse-Tier 5 training.

Faculty

This training program will feature an expert faculty member who has served as a sworn police investigator on college and university campuses and has more than 25 years of experience and expertise in managing rape investigations for institutions of Higher Education.

Logistics

This class is a 4-hour class (with time built in for breaks).

Virtual Classes: This live, virtual class will be held:

• from 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm Eastern Time.

Additional logistics are available when clicking the “Class Details & Registration” button for a specific class. (Note: clicking the “Class Details & Registration” button will not automatically register attendees for this class. There is an additional registration button that attendees must click to register at the bottom of the logistics page to complete the registration process).

This class is not currently offered in an in‑person format. To explore bringing this class to your campus, please contact dolores@dstaffordandassociates.com for a scope of work.