Sussex Police promoting National Stalking Awareness Week

It’s National Stalking Awareness Week, and Sussex Police are encouraging people to spot the warning signs and report it.

Officers taking part in the campaign say that, on average, victims of stalking endure 100 incidents before they recognise an individual’s behaviour as criminal, which they want to change.

Police say stalking can have a devastating impact on its victims.

Any fixated and unwanted behaviour could be classed as stalking. If someone’s behaviour is making you uncomfortable, scared or threatened, report it to the police.

That could be in person – is someone following you, turning up at your work, home or social occasions unannounced?

It could be online – repeated texts, emails, social media contact. Or even unwanted gifts such as letters or presents.

All of these things could constitute stalking and should be reported to the police.

We have a range of nationally recognised measures to help keep you safe and hold perpetrators to account.

From the point we receive your report, we will look at safeguarding to make sure you are safe, which can include warning markers on your address and personal protective equipment.

You will also be referred to our independent stalking advocacy partner, Veritas Justice, for safety support and advice while the criminal investigation proceeds.

Once an offender is identified and brought into custody, there are a variety of possible outcomes.

Depending on the nature of the offending, a jail sentence may be appropriate.

Protective orders can also be imposed to manage a perpetrator’s offending, such as restraining orders – which require a criminal conviction – or Stalking Protection Orders, which do not.

Sussex Police is one of the leading proponents of Stalking Protection Orders, which are managed by our award-winning Complex Domestic Abuse and Stalking Unit (CDASU).

The CDASU is focused on the highest risk victims and offenders. Through Stalking Protection Orders, a wide range of restrictions can be put in place to protect victims and their families.

Offenders can also be fitted with Buddi Tags – tracking devices that alert relevant authorities should an offender breach an exclusion zone, giving victims additional peace of mind.

Breaches of Stalking Protection Orders can result in a jail sentence. Sussex currently has 129 offenders subject to full or interim Stalking Protection Orders; relatively one of the highest numbers in the country and each monitored by a dedicated offender manager.

The CDASU also supports the Compulsive and Obsessive Behaviour Intervention (COBI) programme, which works with prolific offenders to address the root causes of their behaviour and stop them from reoffending.

COBI has been a proven success, with the vast majority of programme completers not going on to reoffend.

Detective Sergeant Kerri Bartup said: “Victims of stalking will often suffer in silence, mistaking offenders’ behaviour for love or harmless fixation without recognising the potential for dangerous escalation.

“Unwanted fixated behaviour can impact every part of a victim’s life and, if left to continue, can lead to violence and other serious offences.

“If you are being subjected to any suspicious or unwanted behaviour, no matter how minor it may feel, please report it to us.

“We will take it seriously and we will make sure you are safe. Don’t let it continue – it’s not worth the risk.”

Claudia Ortiz, Director of Veritas Justice, said: “Stalking is not only a criminal offence — it is a serious public health issue with far-reaching impacts on victims' mental and physical health. Through our work with 742 individuals between April 2024 and March 2025, we know that 39% needed mental health support, 12% required physical health care, and 5.4% were suicidal due to the trauma they experienced. These figures are a stark reminder that the impact of stalking goes well beyond the justice system.

“Healthcare professionals are often the first point of contact for victims, placing them in a crucial position to identify stalking early and intervene effectively.

“We are calling on NHS Integrated Care Boards to take meaningful responsibility by developing clear policies, delivering targeted training, and embedding stalking awareness into frontline healthcare practice. Whether it is recognising the signs in patients or providing safe pathways to refer them to specialist services or police, health professionals must be supported to act.

“This National Stalking Awareness Week, we urge all agencies to Spot Stalking as a serious health concern and commit to collaborative, informed approaches that prioritise victim safety and long-term recovery.”

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “It has always been clear to me that, if you don’t understand something, you cannot tackle it effectively which is why, in 2019, I commissioned a report led by experts that outlined how to further improve Sussex’s response to stalking. The next year, Sussex Police successfully secured the very first Stalking Protection Orders in the country.

“Later that year, I was delighted to secure nearly £100,000 from the Government to establish a pioneering intervention programme to change stalking behaviour. The initiative was the first of its kind locally and nationally, with perpetrators of stalking participating in twelve, intensive one-to-one sessions where their cases were forensically dissected and future focus placed on maintaining non-offending behaviour.

“Today, the programme continues to deliver outstanding results. In the last year, of the 15 participants who completed the intensive programme, 90% of the perpetrators have committed no further stalking-related offences.”