Consultation opens on new guidance to tackle stalking or harassment
The College of Policing has opened a public consultation on new guidance to help police better deal with stalking or harassment and protect victims.
The draft authorised professional practice (APP) sets out clearer standards on how officers and staff should identify, investigate and respond to offences, with a greater focus on safeguarding victims and managing perpetrators. The consultation, which opens on 23 June and runs until September 7, invites views from policing, partner agencies, the specialist sector and the public.
The updated guidance replaces existing guidance with a single framework covering all roles in policing, including call handlers, frontline officers, investigators and senior leaders. It includes more detailed direction on identifying stalking, assessing risk, supporting victims and pursuing effective investigations, alongside guidance on cyberstalking and digital evidence.
Assistant Chief Constable and Director of Operational Standards at the College of Policing, Tom Harding said: “Stalking has a devastating and long-lasting impact on victims, and it is vital policing responds consistently and effectively to these offences.
“This consultation is an important step in ensuring officers and staff have clear and up-to-date guidance to identify risk and safeguard those affected.
“The proposed authorised professional practice brings together existing guidance into a single framework, setting out what is expected at every level of policing. It supports a victim-centred approach while strengthening how suspects are managed and investigated.
“We are encouraging contributions from policing, partners, organisations and the public to help ensure the final guidance is practical, evidence-based and capable of delivering better outcomes for victims across England and Wales.”
Stalking is estimated to affect around 1.4 million people each year and is recognised as a key factor linked to serious harm, including domestic homicide. The new guidance forms part of a broader programme by the College of Policing to strengthen victim safeguarding, improve investigative practice and support a more consistent national response.
The new approach reflects findings from a joint investigation into The police response to stalking, which called for clearer and more consistent national standards. This was produced after the Suzy Lamplugh Trust submitted a super-complaint on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) led a joint investigation into this complaint with His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service (HMICFRS) and the College of Policing.