Force implements new stalking procedures following national review

Leicestershire Police is putting into action the recommendations from a report into stalking investigations published following a super-complaint filed by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

The report, published at the end of September this year, was the result of a two-year investigation by multiple agencies following the submission of a super-complaint about the police response to stalking in November 2022.

The 29 recommendations – of which half were concerning the police – aim to ensure that reports and behaviour reported by victims are not missed by forces, and recorded as something else, therefore protecting victims and ensuring successful investigations.

Our action plan, showing what we are already doing and what we plan to implement in the coming months, can be found here: Leicestershire Police Delivery Plan

Work began in Leicestershire last year, before the publication of the report, with an audit of stalking crimes, looking at what behaviour had been reported, how it had been dealt with and what next steps were taken.

This audit showed areas where the force could improve in the identification and investigation of stalking offences.

Leading the changes is Detective Superintendent Chris Baker, the force lead for Violence Against Women and Girls.

He said: “We identified areas where we believed we could improve investigations to ensure we are delivering the best service to our victims that we can, including further training for officers on recognising stalking behaviours.

“Stalking can be subtle and requires an understanding of stalkers’ behaviours and motivations in order to recognise patterns of incidents. Victims of stalking are experts in their own experience and it’s vital that we listen to and respond to their fears when they report one or more incidents which may amount to stalking. 

“Stalking behaviour is fixed, obsessive, unwanted and repeated; these attributes make it stalking – whether the individual acts are, on the face of it, innocuous, such as the buying of gifts. If it’s unwanted and happens over and over again, it has the potential to be dangerous behaviour.”

Since the spring of this year, every crime reported to us as stalking by a victim has been triaged, with a detailed plan added to the crime system providing guidance to investigators and how to signpost victims to organisations for support, such as the Alice Ruggles Trust, Suzy Lamplugh Trust and Palladin.

Detective Superintendent Baker added: “This has helped, as it concentrates the officer’s mind on what to be looking for, lines of enquiry to pursue and where to refer victims to for help and support outside of the police.

“We have also implemented the National Stalking Screening Tool which has helped identify patterns of behaviour and investigative plans.”

Going forward, the Threat Assessment Unit will triage all crimes flagged as possible stalking being made to the force and will allocate them to the correct team.

Stalking offences will be allocated to detectives in the Complex Investigation Team (CIT),  Criminal Investigation Department (CID)  and Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit (DAIU).

Detective Superintendent Baker said: “This work, the changes we have implemented, is all ongoing, as we respond to the need of the public we serve.

“The tragic cases of Alice Ruggles and Gracie Spinks, both murdered by their stalkers, are stark  examples that highlight the dangers of stalking and how important it is to recognise the stages of behaviour promptly so it can be dealt with effectively, and in doing so protective victims of this behaviour.

“The super-complaint brought into sharp focus the areas in which we – policing as a whole –need to improve in relation to stalking and stalking investigations. The changes we’ve made so far, and those we are currently implementing, in line with the recommendations, make us better equipped to recognise, investigate and secure charges in stalking investigations. More importantly, they will help us give victims the protection they need.”

Read the super-complaint and the full report here: Super-complaint on the police response to stalking - GOV.UK