PCC Response - Super Complaint - Stalking

20 November 2024

Dear Home Secretary

I have received and read the report by the HMICFRS, IOPC and CoP on the Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s super-complaint on the police response to stalking and I welcome the recommendations contained within it. It is absolutely correct that significant changes are needed to improve the police response to reports of stalking.

Protecting women and children is one of the core missions within my police and crime plan. The implementation of the key objectives involved with this, along with the mission for putting victims at the heart of the criminal justice system, is being led by my Deputy who has experience in convening the correct partners and advisors to drive change in these areas.

The Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner said: “I welcome the conversations on stalking and the national spotlight on this awful crime. Stalking is serious, can have long-lasting effects on victims, and  must be taken seriously by the police.

Whilst I am assured after reading the full report that there are examples of this, I an concerned at the number of cases where some victims have been let down.Part of my role as Deputy PCC is to support the PCC to work with Bedfordshire Police and our partners reduce such crimes and ensure victims of stalking are heard. This features in the police and crime plan.

“In the Police and Crime Commissioners office, we fund services that help to tackle stalking. We have promoted the work of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust campaign against stalking and have previously funded the Hollieguard safeguarding app. Wee continue to promote this, as well as ‘bystander’ training as a method of tackling VAWG which is part of ourSafer Streets initiative.”

On the recommendations that require PCC action, I can provide the following updates:

Recommendation 15: My office currently fund a DA Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker (ISAC) provided by Victim Support. Funding allocated from: Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) and (IDVA)

This funding is to provide a Bedfordshire Independent Domestic Abuse Advisor Service which includes a DA Stalking Advocate (ISAC), as well as multiple IDVA roles.

Also funded by MoJ, the office provides a Non-DA ISAC through Victim Support.

This funding is to provide a Bedfordshire Stalking Support Service Pilot. Victim Support will provide a safe space for victims to receive support and offer support for all stalking victims, with a focus on support for non-domestic stalking victims.

Victim Support will employ an Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker (ISAC) who will:

• Signpost stalking victims to relevant agencies and contribute to Stalking Scrutiny Panel, ensuring a multi-agency approach.
• Ensure every victim of crime is aware of their rights under Victims Code of Practice (VCOP).
• Deliver training to Bedfordshire Police including Project Firefly officers, raising awareness of non-DA stalking.

Victim Support will complete engagement and outreach activities alongside the support provision. This will include:

• Presentations to local schools/Bedfordshire University/housing associations, e.g. BPHA Housing Association.
• Targeted social media campaigns via existing Victim Support (VS) Bedfordshire Twitter account, e.g. during National Stalking Awareness Week.
• Presentations to local community groups

Recommendation 16: There are two ongoing projects that support with this recommendation. The first is to work with partner agencies in the voluntary and charitable sector to pull together a directory of services for Bedfordshire. The initial ambition for this directory is to share with statutory partners and agencies to improve collaboration, system understanding and encourage joint/co-commissioning. The second piece of work is to carry out the mapping exercise with a focus on drawing together an understanding of current service provision in the county, enabling referral pathways, client journeys and gaps to be identified and managed more efficiently.

Regarding the details of operational recommendations, Bedfordshire Police has provided information to my office. Bedfordshire Police has already implemented dedicated officers who support victims of stalking and crackdown on perpetrators and ensures victims are given the correct level of support through the investigation. Since the start of the year, officers from across the force have secured more than 150 charges against individuals and made 215 stalking related arrests.

The specialist stalking team are working towards increasing Bedfordshire Police’s response to stalking crimes, implementing more orders and looking at intervention/prevention. Dedicated officers triage every stalking report that comes into the force each day, ensuring they are appropriately allocated and investigated. They work on sourcing Stalking Protection Orders (SPO’s) and there are currently thirteen full orders in place ensuring some of the most vulnerable victims are safeguarded and the risk to them is mitigated. The aim is to increase the number of SPOs.  

Training is being rolled out across the force to ensure that both front-line officers, staff and investigators are fully up to date with the college of policing’s APP on stalking ensuring they are aware of the latest methodologies and technologies available to assist with stalking investigations. This is being backed up with a detailed gatekeeping process with specialist Detective Sergeants reviewing stalking reports. A monthly review board dip samples stalking reports, as well as refreshing the current stalking policy ensuring it aligns with the recommendations. A new e-learning package will be made mandatory for every officer and staff member across the force by March 2025.

Bedfordshire Police will be implementing the stalking screening tool and will be working with local authorities and other forces ensuring a partnership working approach is adopted to appropriately manage stalking perpetrators and risk, as well as supporting those victims of stalking, drawing on experience from Emerald, and work in the victim hub.

Partnership working will be implemented further with regular multi-agency meetings organised to discuss high-risk and complex cases with the intention of information sharing and exploring opportunities outside of the criminal justice system, thereby providing increased support to victims and investing in changing perpetrator behaviours. 

Bedfordshire Police has offered comment on some specific recommendations below:

Recommendation 11: Bedfordshire Police are working with the analytical team to establish if we can get stalking specific problem profiles. Bedfordshire Police are establishing if there are any high-risk offenders not yet known to Police. Performance framework around the quality of investigations has been identified as an area for improvement. Actions have been put in place for all stalking reports to be signed off on basis of risk, through an escalation process. Work is being completed with the Information Management Unit (IMU) who can reject the closure of reports which are not recorded or filed properly with sufficient oversight/supervisor closing rationale. Work is also being completed with the investigations standards co-ordinator and a DS responsible for stalking to consider process map, so officers/supervisors know who to send reports to for filing. Bedfordshire Police already have the stalking review board in place which monitors the quality of investigations.

Recommendation 12: Bedfordshire Police are currently managing the DA stalking risks well, due to the DARA, however improvements need to be made in non-DA stalking cases. This should be a similar process to the DARA. Bedfordshire Police are currently liaising with Hertfordshire regarding the stalking screening tool and how the service implements a sufficient risk assessment. COP have published recognised risk assessment tools for stalking purposes which are being reviewed to see if they are suitable for our needs.

Recommendation 13: The stalking triage officer reviews new stalking reports every day and will establish if they may be suitable for a SPO. To be able to apply for a SPO, we need a supportive victim (with a statement), some evidence to suggest stalking behaviour, and ideally a suspect account to know where the case is going. This information is often not available within 4 weeks/48hrs of report or arrest.

Bedfordshire Police will always apply at the earliest opportunity and ‘get the ball rolling’ by speaking with the OIC and legal. Once legal have the application and evidence, it can take 4 – 6 weeks to the first court hearing date where the interim SPO would be granted. However, Bedfordshire Police can certainly aim to reduce the time this process takes. Mechanisms for supporting officers to identify SPOs are in place with the stalking team being available to assist any officers who need some guidance.

Recommendation 14: The IVNA is a mandatory process on an investigation. Officers and supervisors need to be aware that all stalking victims should be eligible to enhanced rights. We will ask V&W lead to include this in victim training. Victim updates also need to be meaningful and delivered via phone call/visit and not the generic GoodSAM updates.

OIC's to refer victims to BVCS and request an ISAC. The ISAC's monitor their referrals and in the year 2023-2024 received approx. 120 referrals from Beds police.

Officers will be reminded/informed about the ISAC's during their training. Officers to refer within initial investigative actions to ensure victim is supported.

Recommendation 17: Bedfordshire Police are currently having discussions as to whether stalking investigations are removed out of the patrol function to a specialist unit. S4A Stalking reports are already allocated to PIP2 teams (Emerald & CID). This also forms part of the discussion within the stalking review board and daily stalking triage.

Recommendation 18: The Met have Operation Atlas which refers to digital evidence in stalking cases. Bedfordshire Police will liaise with them regarding what they do and their capabilities, and whether anything can be implemented for Bedfordshire. Bedfordshire Police will review the process for supervisors completing stalking reviews.

Recommendation 20: Bedfordshire Police will be creating stalking plan for 16 days of action (end of Nov 2024) and stalking awareness week 2025 (April 2025) re social media / events / raising public awareness. Bedfordshire Police are aware that online/cyber stalking forms a large part of stalking behaviours. There have already been social media posts regarding this and will look to increase this awareness during the 16 days of action and stalking awareness week 2025. Cyber Prevent officer has delivered training to all VEO's to ensure they have the right tools and knowledge to provide victims.

Recommendation 25: The introduction of a MASIP is being scoped. From observing other force MASIP's, it would be beneficial to also have partners from adult safeguarding, health and a psychologist.

As PCC, I will be closely monitoring any developments through performance and governance meetings with the Chief Constable to hold Bedfordshire Police to account. I have requested regular spotlight reports on VAWG which will provide me with data and analysis of the current response to stalking.

This will also be closely monitored by the dedicated mission board that I am setting up to advise the Deputy PCC and I on the protection of women and children. This board, comprised of members from the police service, local authorities and victims’ groups, will be able to ensure that these recommendations, and the key objectives within the Police and Crime Plan, are implemented effectively.

Yours Sincerely

John Tizard

Police and Crime Commissioner