79R3475 MMS-D

By:  Rose                                                       H.C.R. No. 38 



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, January 2005 has been designated as the second 
National Stalking Awareness Month in the United States; and
	WHEREAS, The National Center for Victims of Crime initiated 
this observance after the death of Peggy Klinke in January 2003; Ms. 
Klinke was murdered by a former boyfriend after repeatedly seeking 
law enforcement intervention and moving to another state in search 
of safety; and
	WHEREAS, Her tragic story is far from rare; in this country, 
more than a million women and nearly 400,000 men are stalked 
annually; 1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men will be stalked in their 
lifetime, and the majority of victims are stalked by someone they 
know; and
	WHEREAS, Of those women who have been killed by an intimate 
partner, 76 percent were stalked by that partner in the year before 
their death, and 81 percent of those women who are stalked by a 
current or former intimate partner are at some point physically 
assaulted by that individual; and
	WHEREAS, Victims of stalking experience anxiety, insomnia, 
social dysfunction, lost work hours and productivity, and severe 
depression at a much higher rate than the general population; they 
are also forced to take such drastic measures to protect themselves 
as obtaining court orders, changing jobs, changing their 
identities, and relocating; and
	WHEREAS, Stalking is a crime under federal law and under the 
laws of all 50 states and the District of Columbia; national 
organizations, local victim services, prosecutors' offices, and 
police departments are working to further develop effective 
responses to this terrifying crime, which cuts across race, 
culture, gender, age, and economic status; and
	WHEREAS, It is vital that the public understand the 
seriousness of this offense, as well as be aware of the resources 
that are available to those who have been targeted by a stalker; 
moreover, measures to enhance the response of the criminal justice 
system to stalking and stalking victims are to be strongly 
encouraged; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas 
hereby recognize January 2005 as National Stalking Awareness Month 
and commend all those who are working to combat this intolerable 
aggression.