How to spot signs of stalking as Nottinghamshire Police supports national awareness week

Nottinghamshire Police are working with partners to improve the public’s understanding of stalking as part of National Stalking Awareness Week, which runs between April 22 and 26.

The theme for this year’s week of action is ‘Join Forces Against Stalking’ to demonstrate the importance of multi-agency working to protect victims.

Stalking is a pattern of fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repetitive behaviour. It can include harassment that amounts to stalking or stalking that causes fear of violence, serious alarm or distress.

The signs of stalking are varied and not always immediately identifiable. A stalker will often be obsessed with the person they are targeting; they can be someone known to the victim – a former partner, friend, neighbour, work colleague, former acquaintance, or a stranger.

Signs of stalking may include:

• Following a person in public or to work
• Contacting or attempting to contact a person, such as repeated messages or phone calls
• Damage to a person’s property
• Monitoring a person’s use of the internet, email or electronic communication
• Watching or spying on a person
• Receiving unwanted gifts and presents
• Publishing a statement or other material to tarnish a person’s reputation
• Interfering with a person’s property, such as moving garden ornaments or leaving gates open
• Any form of overt or covert surveillance
• Threats to harm a person
• Loitering in a public or private place
• Showing up unannounced at home or work
• Seeking employment at the same job

Established five years ago, the force operates a multi-agency approach to better support victims of stalking and progress stalking investigations more quickly to improve outcomes for individuals.

The monthly stalking clinic involves the police, NHS consultant psychiatrists, expert university lecturers, adult and children social care, the probation service, legal services and the stalking advocacy service.

It provides advice to identify stalker behaviour, assess and reduce risk and harm to victims, shares information with partner agencies, assists in the progression of investigations and discusses the future management of offenders to reduce reoffending by identifying patterns of behaviour, and ensures wraparound safeguarding measures are implemented.

Inspector Abi Goucher, Nottinghamshire Police’s safeguarding lead, said:

“Stalking is a distressing crime that has a significant impact on the day-to-day wellbeing of victims and their families.

“Having a stalker is not flattering or glamorous and depictions of stalking behaviour that are portrayed on Netflix, in films or the media are often misleading.

“Nottinghamshire Police are acutely aware that stalking can devastate people’s lives, which is why all reports of stalking are taken incredibly seriously by our specially trained officers, who are available to provide safeguarding, support and reassurance.”

Support is available

If you think you are a victim of stalking, please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.

If you are in immediate danger always dial 999 and speak with a call handler.

If you are not able to talk when you need urgent police help, the Silent Solution service is available.

After dialling, listen to the questions from the call handler and respond by coughing or tapping your device, if you can. If prompted, press 55 to let the call handler know it is a genuine emergency and you will be connected to the police.

Help and support are available from other agencies, including the National Stalking Helpline, which is run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust on 0808 802 0300.

The Stalking Advocacy Service is available to support victims with assessing risk, creating safety plans, civil legal interventions and signposting to counselling and other services.

You can self-refer to the Stalking Advocacy Service for support, advice and safety planning by calling the women’s helpline on 0115 947 6490 or the men’s helpline on 0115 960 5556.