Significant changes are needed to improve the police response to
reports of stalking, an investigation into a police
super-complaint has found.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), His
Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue
Services (HMICFRS) and the College of Policing
(CoP) found that police understanding of stalking is
improving, and this is reflected in some innovative action by the
police. But too often these cases are not being taken
seriously enough and the quality of investigations is
inconsistent.
The report published today (27 September) follows our detailed
joint investigation into a super-complaint made by the Suzy
Lamplugh Trust, on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium,
about the way police respond to reports of stalking.
It details 29 recommendations we have
made to ensure better support for victims.
These include:
- outlining steps chief constables should take now to
improve the quality of stalking investigations
- changing the criminal law on stalking, which
is currently confusing in places, to make it
easier for police to understand and apply;
- making stalking protection orders simpler and easier for the
police to use; and
- ensuring police and support services work more closely
together to improve the service provided to victims.
These recommendations – to chief constables,
police and crime commissioners, the National Police Chiefs'
Council (NPCC), the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and
the Crown Prosecution Service – will support policing
to make the necessary improvements to ensure reports of stalking
are consistently taken seriously and victims
are better safeguarded.
IOPC Director General Rachel Watson said: “Stalking is a
serious crime that can have a devastating impact on victims.
Those affected need to have confidence to come forward, knowing
they will be listened to and supported by those whose role it is
to keep them safe.
“Change is happening – and today's report
highlights some excellent work we want to see become
standard right across England and
Wales. Sadly, we also saw too many cases
where police failed to recognise stalking or take the
necessary steps to protect victims – and policing must
act now to improve this.
“I would like to thank all the victims and support services
who shared their experiences. This report is a chance to
make sure their voices are heard, and the issues they highlight
are urgently addressed.”
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke said:
“The seriousness of stalking should not be underestimated. It is
a devastating crime and the impact on victims can be life-long.
Police forces must do all they can to tackle it with the utmost
urgency.
“We have previously recommended that stalking is prioritised by
forces and the wider criminal justice system.
“However, it is concerning that we are still not seeing change as
quickly as we should; investigations are often not effective
enough and all the risks to victims are not being
identified.
“While examples of positive practice were found, this progress is
not significant enough to achieve the outcomes all victims
deserve.
“Change is needed, and today's report must be a springboard for
action.”
Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, College of Policing CEO, said:
“Stalking has a significant physical, psychological, and
emotional impact on victims and we are determined to
support policing to take a robust approach to offenders and to
support victims.
“Our joint investigation into Suzy
Lamplugh Trust's super-complaint has shown that
policing has made progress in the way it tackles
stalking. I'm pleased that we have been able to share
the examples of promising practice
we encountered during the investigation on our practice
bank so that they can be adopted more widely across policing.
"Despite the progress made, our investigation has also shown that
the service needs to improve further. To support this improvement
officers now have access to updated advice and training for when
they are responding to stalking or harassment cases. One, of a
number, of next steps will be to strengthen national guidance for
police across England and Wales to improve the quality of
investigations.
“Our report has also recommended policing now explores how
emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can be
used so that policing systems and frontline officers can spot
stalking risks in cases at the earliest opportunity to allow
offenders to be targeted and victims supported and protected from
harm.”
The IOPC, HMICFRS and CoP have jointly investigated the concerns
raised in the super-complaint, which was submitted in November
2022. We found clear evidence to support these concerns.
As part of the investigation, we reviewed police
investigation case files and spoke with officers and
staff involved in responding to reports of stalking. We
also spoke with victims and support services, to better
understand their experiences, and reviewed a significant amount
of research and data on the subject.
We also carried out a survey of all 43 police forces in England
and Wales, and reviewed IOPC stalking cases to inform
our findings.
Among the findings highlighted in the report are:
- poor risk assessment and safeguarding may be leaving some
victims at serious risk
- laws and guidance for police are confusing and
inconsistent
- there is a lack of understanding by police of the scale
and types of stalking in their area
- there are issues with the quality and resourcing of
some investigations
- more can be done to share and build on the good work already
being done.
As part of the recommendations, we have asked the NPCC
to share a report, which will be published online, in the
coming months outlining the progress made to make these
important changes.
ENDS
For media enquiries, call Paul Berentzen on 07741 894149.
The super-complaints system allows designated bodies (such as
charities) to raise widespread issues that could affect public
confidence in policing – for example, the handling of domestic
abuse cases. More information about super-complaints, and details
of previous super-complaints, can be found on gov.uk
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