So, I have this friend that thinks she is being stalked

[Celebration]

Yes this is a photography question!

She was assaulted while on a run about a month ago. The guy grabbed her from behind, and threw her on the ground. She screamed her head off and he ran away. She knows what he looks like from the rear, but not his face. He has a certain sort of distinctive build. She thinks she was targeted because it was early in the morning and she often was on that same run on the same route, and for other reasons I prefer not to say.

She thinks she may have seen the guy since then, once or twice near her apartment building, but she cannot be sure it is the same guy. I told her she needs to get a photo of the guy and then maybe let a private investigator get a profile of him. She has an iPhone, but that would be obvious unless it was too far away. There has been at least one creepy incident since the attack so she is getting a little freaked out.

Are there any spy type cameras that can take photos of people's faces in an unobtrusive way? The Google glass trial is closed for now.

If anyone here has some suggestions, please let me know, thanks.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I would not care if it was obvious that I was taking his photo.

I would use the cell phone, and not worry about if he see me do it. I would then forward the photo to friends who know my situation, just in case anything ever happened.

The reason that I am saying that it is fine for him to see the photo taken is that he may just go away if he thinks he will get caught. This is not a sure thing, but possible. But if he does not disappear, and she sees him again, she should take another picture. If there is a pattern that she can prove with all the photos in her neighborhood of the same guy just hanging around, this might be enough to put a stop to it.

But I also want to caution her that she may be freaked enough that she is thinking that she is seeing him often, when it really isn't the same person. She should feel confident that she has the right person before she harasses someone.

[Celebration]

2. Thank you for the response

It was very well reasoned. It is getting away from the subject of photography, but I would like to say that I have thought about most of what you just contributed. This is someone near and dear to me so I have mulled this over a lot. In an ideal scenario, what I envision could happen is this:

1. She gets a photo without his knowing. I think this is better because a. he might not be the guy and so therefore she would not want to be so intrusive, b. he might be the guy and getting his photo might enrage him on the spot.

2. After she unobtrusively obtains a photo, she hires a private investigator to ID the guy and get a profile. Hopefully he has left a few clues in his life that he might be the guilty party. Probably he hangs out at sketchy places, at the least. If that pans out she

3. Contacts the police with picture, information and suspicions. They won't have enough evidence to prosecute but maybe they can question him and it would cause him enough fear to stop. If they won't question him the PI could follow him and get some evidence that he is stalking her.

4. The end result is that he knows he is being carefully watched and he stops this crap.

Yes, she could have the wrong person, and she is actually way into doubting herself on this. But she noticed this one particular guy in the park a couple of times at different times of the day. Then she left the park to go back to her apartment, and lo and behold she PASSES the guy as he is right in front of her apartment. He is coming from the OPPOSITE direction, after she had just seen him in the park. So he went around and doubled back and timed it so he would pass her at about the same time that she went into her apartment building. At that point I asked her if he knew that she knew, because she was pretty suspicious about him. She told me YES. There must have been eye contact and an information exchange between them. Since then, she has doubted all this and had the same concerns that you have about jumping to conclusions. I know I am judging this from afar but I am more into honoring on the spot gut instinct.

None of this answers my question about taking a photo unobtrusively. A Facebook friend suggested Google Glass but they have closed the trial applications.

[Curmudgeoness]

8. She probably should talk to a PI or the police

to find out if this would even work. I don't know if a PI would be able to find someone with just a picture. And I have heard that the police are not able to anything about stalkers until they do more than the stalking. I realize that he did do more, but she should have contacted the police right then and there to start a file on this.

Find out from professionals in the criminal system what their suggestions would be, and what they can or cannot do.

[Celebration]

11. thanks!

I do feel she would be safer if she got his picture into the hands of police/PI. He obviously is in her neighborhood somewhere. This stalker has done way more than stalking already. I hate to go into more details about the police, for certain reasons, but they are helpful in increasing patrols, but not exactly proactive about the crime. She needs more of a dialogue with police but I am not sure if this is possible.

Her husband is a little bit in denial that she is being stalked, although he is coming around.

[applegrove]

3. If she takes a picture of him get her to email it to herself right away. That

way there is a record of him. And if she sees him she can say I emailed a picture of you to myself with the note "STALKER". I was followed/stalked. But unfortunately, when I began to figure it out, the physical stalking was before the advent of camera phones.

[Celebration]

4. even better she could email it to the police! And say so!

I'm so sorry you had this experience. So you think a cell phone is the best way to go with this?

Guess I have seen too many of the old spy movies.........phones in ballpoint pens, etc.

[applegrove]

6. If you are afraid of escalation by going to the police. As I was.

[csziggy]

5. I'm not a specialist but a quick google found lots of pages

With "body worn spy cameras"
https://www.google.com/search?q=body+worn+spy+cameras

Another idea would be for her to have a friend follow her and try to get the pictures of the stalker for her.

[Celebration]

12. thank you

I am going to send that link to her, for sure!

[Mira]

7. I'm mulling this over and agree with csziggy's idea - have another person take the photo.

This would not be easy to arrange, not in the least. But my instinct says do not photograph that person and confront him with a threat or recognition.

I think this is not an ordinary stalker, they IMO don't tackle people and are that obvious about making them afraid.
I think this person is possibly dangerous as well as a scary annoyance.
I wonder if your friend could not go to the police for an informative talk and some direction, if not help.

My gut is picking up your worries, and I think they are justified.
I have some experience with this. I have had a long time benign stalker and have made my peace with it because he did NOT scare and threaten me.

[KC]

9. I agree

with you Mira. I wouldn't be the one to
take his picture. However, if it were
me if at all possible, I would have someone
install some kind of camera outside of
the residence. Maybe by the door and also
maybe one that would record any activity around the parking area. That way any unusual activity would be recorded.

I do hope she went to the police after
the original attack!
Hopefully if she still goes running she
only does it with someone. It's just
not safe anymore.

[Celebration]

14. I definitely agree

It is such a safe area ordinarily that there is not much security around the apartment. I sent her a link for nanny cams! It would be great if they could hide one.

Yes she went to the police after the original attack. Unbelievably, they didn't open a file on it because they didn't have enough info to investigate. It is all about keeping crime statistics down of course. But they have increased patrols around the neighborhood and specifically on her street.

[Celebration]

13. yes the person is extremely dangerous

and intelligent. Primarily, though, he does not want to get caught.

I encourage her to talk with police. I'm not exactly sure what the dynamic is there.

[KC]

16. He doesn't

want to get caught so patrolling her
neighborhood probably won't do much
good.
I can't believe the police didn't open
a file. That is really incompetent.
There needs to be a file on it in case something happens to her again. (hopefully
it won't) like it would make it easier to put 2and 2 together if there was a previous file. That probably sounds stupid.
I do think there needs to be some camera
installed to show parking lot to see if
someone is hanging around watching her apartment. I hope it's not
someone that lives there.
I'm worried for her.

[Celebration]

17. Me, too!

It is a very small apartment complex and none of them have the same build as the guy. So, at least there is that.

[JanMichael]

10. I can't answer about the photograph

but, I would suggest that your friend get this, keep it beside her bed, and carry it while jogging:

http://www.amazon.com/Mace-Brand-Bear-Pepper-Spray/dp/B0002YSWIQ

also, in the car, a small "old fashioned" heavy, metal fire extinguisher. It can be used to smash hands trying to get in the window, and then sprayed directly in the face.

jog on main roads-- in the light, lots of people around.

[Celebration]

15. she now has a personal alarm

she considered pepper spray but felt it could also be used against her so she opted for an air horn thing. She has told her neighbors to listen for the air horn, and she heads straight for the busiest street.

[Pharaoh]

18. I would just take it with my

300mm at very high resolution and blow it up. that way you can remain unseen.

[groundloop]

19. IMO it's crazy to run around playing secret agent

Has your friend been to the police yet? If not she needs to go talk to them ASAP.

And I'd be concerned that she's putting herself at more risk by attempting to get a photo of someone who's already proven himself to be dangerous.

Again, she should at least go talk to the police.

[Celebration]

20. Oh, definitely she has been to the police

I would rather her be able to go to the police with a couple of photos!