Police Officers Undergo Stalking Specialist Training Pilot

Police officers are receiving training to become stalking specialists, aiming to enhance the response to violence against women and girls. Joy Allen, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for County Durham and Darlington, has funded the training of 20 police officers. These officers will be designated as “Stalking Champions” to ensure the crime is “treated with the seriousness it deserves”. The PCC is piloting this model on behalf of Paladin, the National Stalking Advocacy Service, which intends to establish a network of officers nationwide. Ms Allen expressed her desire to guarantee that victims receive the “highest quality response to keep them safe from day one”. According to the PCC, 1,669 stalking offences were reported to Durham Constabulary in 2022-23. Paladin has previously highlighted ongoing national issues, including mischarging in stalking cases, failures to arrest or investigate, and police forces not utilising available powers and legislation to protect victims of stalking. Ms Allen stated: “The work we have done to tackle stalking in Durham has received national recognition. Our student officers now receive training on how to investigate stalking and assess risk.” She added: “We also have new reporting systems in place to identify repeat suspects of stalking offences to increase opportunities to secure Stalking Protection Orders” Ms Allen concluded: “This training pilot takes this work one step further.”