Monday 28 November 2022
Response from Surrey Police in regards to complaint launched by The Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
We have responded to the national super-complaint submitted
by Suzy Lamplugh Trust, on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium,
outlining the group’s concerns that forces across England and Wales are failing
in their response to victims of stalking.
“Stalking has a devastating impact on victims and it’s
imperative that we deal with the behaviour early on to both safeguard victims
and stop perpetrators from continuing and escalating in offending.
“We introduced stalking champions in 2018 and currently have
34 across the Force who have received enhanced training in order to offer
support and guidance. They have played a vital role in informing our training
process, which mandates training about stalking for all new officers and
includes regular refresher training for all front-line roles.
“We are a small force and apply for a high number of
Stalking Protection Orders relative to our size, with the number rising
year-on-year. While we know there is more to do, we achieved a 50% increase in
solved outcomes between November 2021 and this month compared to the year
between November 2020 and 2021.
“Stalking requires us to work together with other agencies
to ensure early and effective intervention. In recognition of this, we hold
monthly meetings with senior and specialist officers and partner agencies to
review how we can progress ongoing cases, ensuring that the judicial process is
aligned, from supporting victims to ensuring evidence is being gathered
effectively to secure charges from the CPS. In addition, our contact centre
operators and force control room team have completed training to ensure they
recognise cases of stalking and deploy officers to them at the earliest
opportunity.
“Although progress has been made, we are committed to
holding our processes to the highest standard right across the board and will
continue to work hard to address this most traumatic of crimes. We want people
who come to us to report that they’ve been a victim of stalking to know that we
will listen, we will understand, and we will help. Please report to us on our
website, through a private message on any of our social channels, or by phoning
101. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”
posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 4:02 pm