Olivette Police Deal with Phone Harassment Case; Is It a Crime in Missouri?

In the most recent list of incidents from the Olivette Police Department, authorities reported this one one on Jan. 11, from an address in Olive Village Court:

"Resident continues to be harassed by phone by a male who has an interest in her daughter. Contact was made with the suspect and calls have stopped."

Sometimes, authorities say, all it takes is a call from police to make the incidents stop. But did you know phone harassment is against the law in Missouri?

It's a misdemeanor and can be a crime if the perpetrator "knowingly frightens, intimidates, or causes emotional distress to another person by anonymously making a telephone call or any electronic communication."

This victim did the right thing, according to an article about harassment on Lawyers.com.

"If you are a victim of harassment, you should contact the police," the site notes. "You should make a note of the gender of the caller, the description of the caller's voice, the time and date of the call(s), what was said in the call(s), and an estimate of the caller's age."

The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse also suggests contacting the phone company, but one harassing phone call generally won't be enough to spur action.

"Just one unwelcome call can be harassing; but usually your local phone company will not take action unless the calls are frequent," the site says. "However, if a call specifically threatens you or your family with bodily harm, the phone company will generally take immediate action."