Government responds to stalking recommendations

The Government has responded positively to recommendations made after we investigated a super-complaint on how police deal with stalking and harassment with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). 

Following the super complaint investigation, the Home Secretary, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, and the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips MP, have now announced a range of new measures to protect stalking victims and ensure perpetrators face tougher sanctions. This includes a commitment to review a of stalking legislation to support police to better identify stalking and arrest offenders, and the examination of stalking protection orders (SPO) to explore further changes.

• Read the new measures unveiled by the Home Office

The joint investigation report found clear evidence to support the concerns raised by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and National Stalking Consortium in their super-complaint. The report was published in September 2024 and made 29 recommendations which give policing, and our criminal justice partners, a clear plan of action to improve standards in the response to stalking.

• Read our report on the changes needed to improve the police response to stalking

The report recognises what a horrific and terrifying crime stalking can be. Much more needs to be done to tackle this, and to protect victims and prevent this sort of insidious criminality.

I want to thank the minister for responding so positively to the report and welcome the review of stalking legislation.

We've already updated the College’s existing guidance and training on stalking and harassment to better reflect the current best practice. We’ve also shared areas of promising practice identified during the investigation on our practice bank, so these can be adopted more widely across policing.

These include using processing software to increase the efficiency of stalking investigations, a safeguarding app to protect victims of domestic abuse and stalking, and an integrated risk management service for cases of stalking.

I want also to thank the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the National Stalking Consortium for raising the original super complaint, and for all they continue to do to tackle stalking.

Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, College of Policing CEO

Sharing promising practice

We have also published examples of promising practice we encountered during our investigation on our practice bank, including:

• Using processing software to increase the efficiency of stalking investigations
• A safeguarding app to protect victims of domestic abuse and stalking
• Early awareness stalking intervention
• An integrated risk management service for cases of stalking
• Providing a specialist response to stalking through a multi-agency team