More support coming for stalking and harassment victims in Staffordshire, commissioner pledges

Ben Adams told the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel that stalking is an area of ‘increasing concern’ and that he ‘absolutely agreed’ with experts who consider it a risk factor for murder.

Mr Adams was responding to questions posed by panel member Charlotte Atkins, who raised concerns over the small number of stalking protection orders issued in Staffordshire. According to Staffordshire Police’s PEEL inspection report, in the year ending September 30, 2023, the force applied for just one full stalking protection order, and four interim orders – over the same period Staffordshire Police recorded 4,156 stalking offences.

Cllr Atkins also asked whether the force would be recruiting dedicated stalking officers, an idea listed for consideration in last year’s stalking action plan. Mr Adams told the panel that the action to tackle stalking and domestic abuse is a ‘bit of a work in progress’, but gave assurances that the issue is being treated seriously.

He said: “At the moment the service is looking at domestic abuse and stalking and considering the question of specialist officers in the round. My team are currently tasked to put together a support package for victims of stalking and harassment, which is something we’ve wanted to do for a couple of years. I think I’ve identified the resources to do that.”

Mr Adams said he would be looking to examine the force’s record on issuing protection orders at a forthcoming public performance meeting.

He added: “I can’t disagree at all with your sentiment. This is an area of increasing concern. It’s an early indicator and it’s somewhere we should be in as early as possible, in line with the best performing forces.”

The PEEL report also mentioned that 38 per cent of domestic abuse victims in Staffordshire declined risk assessments. Cllr Atkins said this figure suggests that many victims of domestic abuse do not have confidence in the police.

She said: “What is being done to build victim trust and confidence in the police? Because if they’re not going to go through an assessment it implies that they don’t really have confidence that the police are actually going to be able to help them in any real sense.”

Mr Adams said he would look into the risk assessment figure and how Staffordshire compared with other forces. He added: “This is an area of renewed focus. The service has made considerable progress with domestic abuse in the round, not least with response times and timeliness of investigations.”

Annual investment in domestic abuse services in Staffordshire is £3.3 million, with the Commissioner’s Office contributing £1.85 million. The New Era domestic abuse service provides free and confidential support to victims, perpetrators, families and the wider community across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

According to the Mr Adams’ police and crime plan update report, in the first three months of this year New Era’s adult victim service received 2,100 referrals, while the children’s service had just over 500 referrals. The report says that victims using the service report ‘an improved feeling of safety, resilience and empowerment’.