In the know

Dear resident,

This week is National Stalking Awareness Week (Tuesday, 22 April – Saturday, 26 April).

At least one in seven of us will experience stalking in our lifetime.

While the national statistics show that a higher percentage of stalking victim-survivors are women (one in five), the effects of stalking on men can be equally devastating, and we believe that this is sadly less often reported.

It is important that men feel enabled to reach out and report stalking too.

Sometimes, speaking anonymously to a charity helpline can be the first vital step in getting support with the problems they face and there are many resources out there to support men who are victim-survivors of stalking.

Spot the FOUR signs of stalking

Fixated

Obsessive

Unwanted

Repeated

Sound familiar?

It's stalking if the unwanted behaviour has happened more than once.

Trust your instincts. Always report it.

Have you heard of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs)?

SPOs were introduced in January 2020. They protect victim-survivors by addressing behaviours before they become more severe.

Perpetrators can face restrictions such as having to notify police of new relationships and make devices available to police for examination upon request. If breached, an individual could face prison time of up to five years.

We applied for our first SPO within a week of the legislation being in place and remain committed to using the Stalking Protection Act proactively.

Surrey Police currently has 65 SPOs in place with another 12 in progress, the highest number in the country per 1,000 crimes. That’s a 300% increase in the last five years.

Yet we are striving for more.

Early intervention is vital in stalking cases, and we are implementing SPOs sooner in investigations to safeguard victim-survivors.

You can help too by spotting stalking and reporting it to authorities or contacting the National Stalking Helpline.

If you, or someone you know, has experienced two or more incidents of stalking or harassment you can report it to us.

We understand it can be difficult to tell us about what's happened, but we want to hear from you. We take these offences very seriously.

For more information, or to report stalking or harassment, visit: www.surrey.police.uk