Phone Harassment: What would you do?

[cdubs3201]

Originally Posted by ofcjim40

I'm a Police Officer and deal with calls like this all the time. This would be classified as Telephone Harassment (TH), not Stalking, and is a Class B misdemeanor (A is most serious, C is least). Contact your phone provider and see what they are able to do for you, can they track any numbers back for you, etc. Most phone companies will not release information to the Police without a search warrant or court order, and to get a Judge to sign off on this will be hard. Now, some phone companies will release info to the Police without orders if there are death threats, etc. And it's time sensitive, but that doesn't apply here. Each phone company is different. One time I was investigating a missing teenage child and all I wanted to know is if there was any activity on the phone, I didn't ask for numbers or anything just if it was used, and they refused to give this info. TH is a hard crime to charge and prosecute when the above circumstances are taking place. Blocked numbers can't be simply unblocked, and if the other numbers are coming from pay phones or a source such as that, there is no way to track it down. Have you done reverse number lookups on the Internet? Now, even if the number can be tracked down to a phone, you then still have to prove who in fact was on the other end. Let's say all of this comes together and an arrest is made, and the case can be proven. And be aware you will have to show up to ALL court dates, the punishment will basically be a slap on the wrist. I'm not even going to sugar coat this, if this is taking place in Chicago, they are so slammed and shorthanded, this case will quickly fall to the bottom of the pile and will not get much followup or attention. Also no Cook County States Atty will even give you the time of day with this case without a Police investigation first.

So you got two choices, either bare with it, don't answer the phone when these numbers call and hope it ends, or do what you don't want to do and get your number changed. Unless the dirtbag that is calling you really slips up and gives off personal info on himself or implicates himself, there's not a whole lot that can/will be done.

So in total, how many calls/texts have you gotten over the period of time? Can you be 100% sure it's not another buddy putting another buddy up to messing with you? You said it always sounds like a loud bar, so to me it sounds like the good old drunk buddy that wants to mess with you by having his other drunk friend make the call. Or someone wrote your number down on the wall in a gay bar to really mess with you, I've had to handle a case like that before. Lol. It was a bunch of girlfriends went out for the night and partied in Boystown, one of the girls didn't like their friends boyfriend and wrote his number down on the men's room wall!

You make some very interesting points. I usually get calls from a different number each time or its comes up as unknown. I'd say total I've gotten roughly 10 calls or texts in a 3 month period. I feel like it's the same person borrowing their friend's phone each time and only does it when they're out being drunk. I don't think it's a "friend" trying to be funny, it's definitely someone meaning to cause harm, not a laugh. I don't have the texts or calls or voicemails saved, but I can probably start doing that if it continues. How many saved texts/voicemails would I need to save to have enough evidence to go to the police?

It is my cell phone, so I may just change the number. With facebook and everything these days it's not hard to let your friends know you changed your number and have them be able to get in contact with you still. I agree this isn't that bad, I don't lose sleep over it, it's more annoying than anything. And, if there's something I can do to turn the table and slap a legal issue on the offender then I'd be glad to do it. My experience with the law is that even if you didn't do anything wrong, but you're charged with something, it's still a major long drawn out hassle on your life and hangs over your head for a while. Just the stress of a charge possibly going on your record is enough to keep me out of any legal trouble possible, it's a major major headache.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by urza216

This isn't Dear Abby. This is the Chicago forums on city data..

This thread should be moved.

Hope you don't ever need advice on anything.

To me, laws could vary by state or municipality and is just like the dicussion about the red light cameras.

[ofcjim40]

10 calls in 3 months is annoying but in the big picture not that bad. With nothing saved no report would even be done. Technically you only need one but it would still be weak. This case would be like if you went to Stroger or another major trauma hospital with a deep paper cut. To you it sucks, burns and is annoying, but to the medical staff it would be the most minor thing they've dealt with all day and don't have the staff or time to do anything But a quick visit. You'll get a bandaid and be told to go home. I get more calls in a week from stupid telemarketers than you've gotten from this person in 3 months. What I do is hit ignore or just let it ring and never answer. If you ever get a number that goes back to someone, the Police Officer can call it and tell the person to knock it off. But the chances of the person on the other end picking up, listening, or giving the Cop any info is slim. So unless this offender really steps up the calls and adds threats or something more heinous, I would just ignore it and get on with your life.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by cdubs3201

Every couple of weeks or so, some guy calls me late at night trying to be funny and make "sexual" advances to me (I'm a male, 27 years old), whether it's a phone call or a text msg.

Guys never do that to me anymore. I'm jealous.

[hxcobd]

cdubs, next time he calls and the number comes up as anything but "unknown," write it down and PM it to me. I can find out who it is.

Trust me.

[cdubs3201]

Originally Posted by hxcobd

cdubs, next time he calls and the number comes up as anything but "unknown," write it down and PM it to me. I can find out who it is.

Trust me.

Will do.

Originally Posted by ofcjim40

10 calls in 3 months is annoying but in the big picture not that bad. With nothing saved no report would even be done. Technically you only need one but it would still be weak. This case would be like if you went to Stroger or another major trauma hospital with a deep paper cut. To you it sucks, burns and is annoying, but to the medical staff it would be the most minor thing they've dealt with all day and don't have the staff or time to do anything But a quick visit. You'll get a bandaid and be told to go home. I get more calls in a week from stupid telemarketers than you've gotten from this person in 3 months. What I do is hit ignore or just let it ring and never answer. If you ever get a number that goes back to someone, the Police Officer can call it and tell the person to knock it off. But the chances of the person on the other end picking up, listening, or giving the Cop any info is slim. So unless this offender really steps up the calls and adds threats or something more heinous, I would just ignore it and get on with your life.

Thanks for the advice.