Efforts to tackle stalking are being stepped up across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones leading the call for earlier recognition and support.
The theme of this year’s National Stalking Awareness Week (22nd-25th April), ‘Health Response: Spotting Stalking’, highlights stalking as both a crime and a public health issue, urging doctors, therapists and other professionals to be part of the frontline response.
Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner, has said:
“Stalking breaks people down. It’s the slow erosion of someone’s entire sense of safety. It hides in plain sight, and that’s why awareness and training matter – not just for police but across the board.”
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is reinforcing its response with updated officer training and the continued use of Stalking Protection Orders. These court orders can limit a perpetrator’s movements, restrict contact, and compel engagement with support services.
DCI Abbie Leeson, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, has said:
“Stalking is a serious and distressing crime that can escalate. Our multi-agency approach is key to identifying risks early and protecting victims.”
In recent months, over 100 professionals attended a multi-agency conference on stalking hosted by the Commissioner, building on a national recognition last year that praised the region’s approach to victim support and perpetrator intervention.
The FOUR behaviours used to identify stalking are:
- Fixated
- Obsessed
- Unwanted
- Repeated
Victims are encouraged to seek support from the Stalking Advocacy Support Service at www.stopdomesticabuse.uk/stalking, by calling 0330 0533 630 or emailing [email protected]. In an emergency, always call 999.
What can the police do?
Police have a range of powers that can be used to restrain perpetrators and protect victims, which includes Stalking Protection Orders (SPO). This type of order applied for in the Court. Conditions which can be granted include restrictions on the perpetrator, preventing them going places or making contact, recording images or referencing their victim on social media. They can also require the perpetrator to do certain actions, such as attend a stalking intervention, drug or alcohol programme, sign on at a police station or provide police with access to their phones and social media accounts.
SPOs last for a minimum of two years. If the perpetrator breaches the protection order without good reason, this is a criminal offence which will be investigated thoroughly.
