TV presenter Stacey Dooley has been in Cheshire to highlight police work as part of a new documentary on stalking.
It comes as new figures show there were 2,659 stalking offences recorded during 2020/2021, a massive increase from 913 in 2019/2020.
The programme will show what is being done in Cheshire to deter perpetrators and protect victims.
Changes to crime recording have partly resulted in the sharp increase of stalking offences recorded.
The Home Office recently praised the force for the way it is tackling the rising problem of stalking.
John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “Both the Chief Constable and I are extremely proud of the officers and staff here in Cheshire.
“I’m extremely pleased that a spotlight is being shone on Cheshire and we can demonstrate how we’re going the extra mile for our communities.
“I want to thank Stacey for her time, and I look forward to watching the documentary when it airs.”
Rachel Maclean MP, Minister for Safeguarding, wrote to Chief Constable Mark Roberts to commend the force on protecting victims of stalking through Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs).
SPOs – part of the Stalking Protection Act 2019 – enable the police to intervene early and address the behaviour of stalkers prior to the situation escalating.
Since the Act went live in January 2020, Cheshire Police has obtained nine Full Stalking Protection Orders, and 12 Interim Stalking Protection Orders.
An interim order is usually applied for while criminal proceedings are live, which may restrict the ability to progress to a full order.
A police spokesperson said: “Where a restraining order or other protective order is handed down it may render the Constabulary with a lack of necessity to seek the imposition of a full SPO, under these circumstances we allow the interim order to lapse.”
Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: “No one should be subjected to this crime, and we will continue to strive for further improvement to help keep people across Cheshire even safer.
“Supporting and protecting victims of crime is at the heart of what we do as a police force, and we will continue to listen to and learn from victims to make sure we deliver the service that our communities deserve.”
Find out more information about the BBC documentary visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2021/stalked-stacey-dooley
(Image courtesy of Cheshire Police Crime Commissioner office)
Recent Comments