West Yorkshire Services Join Forces for Stalking Awareness Week

Thursday 24 April 2024

As part of National Stalking Awareness Week this week, West Yorkshire Police hosted an event with partners from across the county to raise awareness of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs).

The campaign is run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, with this year's theme being 'Join Forces Against Stalking'.

One in five women and one in ten men experience stalking in their lifetime.

Stalking is a criminal offence which can have a significant and devastating impact on the lives of victims and their friends and family. It is referred to as a pattern of unwanted, fixated and obsessive behaviour which is intrusive.

The event took place online yesterday (Wednesday 24 April) with over 200 professionals in attendance from across West Yorkshire including from Probation, Health, Social Services, Domestic Abuse Support Services and Specialist Stalking Victim Support Services.

The event was held by West Yorkshire Police's Stalking Co-ordination Unit, supported by a Force Solicitor, to explain what Stalking Protection Orders are, how West Yorkshire Police apply for them and how they can protect victims of stalking and manage perpetrators.

A Stalking Protection Order (SPO) is a civil order, which can be made under the Stalking Protection Act 2019 and applied for by police at the Magistrates Court.

An SPO can be put in place for a minimum of two years and is used to protect victims of stalking offences.

If a perpetrator were to breach a SPO, it would be a criminal offence punishable by a fine and/or a prison sentence of up to five years.

Speaking after the event, Detective Sergeant Roshan Pitteea of the Stalking Co-ordination Unit at West Yorkshire Police said:

"The event proved very successful and allowed for our dedicated partners who work with victims and perpetrators of stalking on a daily basisto gain insight into this valuable tool. We cannot underestimate the need for partnership and joint working to tackle stalking offences and safeguard victims effectively, so it was great to see representation from a wide range of organisations.

"Stalking is a serious and distressing crime which can escalate, and in some cases, is a pre-cursor to violence or serious harm. Therefore, all reports of stalking are taken incredibly seriously.

"We are continuing to work closely with partners to review how we can improve our response to stalking, including the ability to work across agencies to better identify offences, manage offenders, safeguard victims and progress investigations."

If you or someone you know is being stalked, you can report to police online or by calling 101 or in an emergency call 999. Stalking offences can also be reported to the National Stalking Helplineand the Cyber Helpline.

Additionally, useful advice and resources can be found on our website at Stalking and Harassment | West Yorkshire Police.

If you are a Police Partnership Organisation or Employer, additional resources are also available on our website at Information for Police Partnership Organisations | West Yorkshire Police.