A new team has been established to improve services to help victims of stalking and harassment. The Stalking Triage Centre acts as a support hub for police officers across Greater Manchester investigating these types of offences, offering advice on evidential opportunities, suspect strategies, safeguarding and victim engagement, to ensure our investigations are reasonable and proportionate, but most importantly, victim centric. They will not only look at new stalking crimes reported, but also support with legacy offences to see if there are any new lines of enquiry and consider suitability for Stalking Protection Orders where the threshold for criminal prosecution cannot be met.
In Greater Manchester the solved outcome rate for stalking, harassment and domestic abuse offences have increased in the last 12 months, compared with the same period the previous year. Detective Chief Inspector Damian Simpson, GMP’s Stalking Lead, said: “Whilst the team is in its infancy, our aims are high for improving the quality of investigations and increasing positive outcomes for victims who report being stalked, or other offences that would suggest stalking is taking place. “As well as assessing investigations and providing support to officers in this way, the team are already embedded in officer and staff training.
This will ensure those on the frontline who are dealing with victims daily are able to effectively recognise risk, patterns, and the full breadth of tools available to them, .