Police and Crime Commissioner launches new stalking awareness training for frontline workers
Frontline professionals across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being offered specialist new training to help them recognise the warning signs of stalking and step in before harm escalates.
Last updated 24th Feb 2026
Police officers here are getting extra training to recognise the signs of stalking - as stats show it’s something that occurred in more than 90 per cent of cases where women were killed.
The Government-funded training was requested by Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez and is delivered by the Hollie Gazzard Trust.
Chief Constable James Vaughan said: "Stalking is a very serious crime."
"We had a national super complaint around stalking."
"Everybody in this county knows well that we lost Claire Chick this time last year to a brutal murder by a stalker."
The Chief Constable says the force has made a raft of behind-the-scenes changes over the past year, adding: "We've raised the level of investigator that should oversee and be responsible for stalking - that's now going to detectives which also increases our chances of being able to safeguard victims.
"Eighty per cent of frontline officers in Devon and Cornwall have now had some additional training about stalking - and we've seen a massive uplift in the confidence of victims to come forward and report stalking to us."
The “Building Confidence to Identify and Respond to Stalking” training is designed for professionals who deliver frontline services – from domestic abuse practitioners to housing officers, youth workers and police staff – giving them the skills and confidence to spot stalking early and take action to safeguard victims.
Alison Hernandez, Police Commissioner, said: "The Chief Constable has been right on top of it since everything that's happened around the murder of Claire Chick to make sure everybody understands about stalking."
The IOPC has served misconduct notices on 18 Devon and Cornwall Police members over contact with Claire Chick before her murder by ex-husband Paul Butler, who later received 27 years in jail."
The PCC also reflected that in some cases: "A lot of people don't recognise that it is stalking, even themselves."
She added, following lots of conversations with victims: "They know something is really uncomfortable and they know they're having to change their daily lives even to avoid them - I had to move out of my home and go and live with a friend to be safe.
"I think one of the things that people don't realise is until you write it down yourself and recognise how frequent it is, what is happening, do you even sometimes recognise that you're being stalked?"
A life lost, and lessons learned
The Hollie Gazzard Trust was set up in memory of 20-year-old Hollie Gazzard, who was murdered by her abusive ex-partner.
During their relationship Hollie experienced coercive and controlling behaviour. After she ended the relationship, the abuse escalated into stalking.
Hollie reported her ex-partner to police shortly before he walked into the hair salon where she worked and fatally stabbed her.
Her ex-partner’s behaviour was not fully recognised as stalking, and the serious risk she faced was not understood. Hollie’s story highlights the tragic consequences of missed opportunities to identify stalking and intervene earlier.
Police officers here are getting extra training to recognise the signs of stalking, as new stats show it’s something that occurred in more than 90 per cent of cases where women were killed.
Chief Constable James Vaughan says they’ve already made a series of changes, a year after the killing of Plymouth’s Claire Chick - who had raised concerns to police beforehand
Stalking – a “silent” high‑risk abuse
Stalking is a high‑risk form of abuse strongly linked to serious violence, including murder. Research by the University of Gloucestershire has found that 94% of femicides were preceded by stalking behaviours.
Despite this, stalking is often misunderstood, minimised, or mislabelled as harassment until the risk has escalated.
Many victims do not realise what they are experiencing is stalking, and some professionals may struggle to distinguish it from other forms of unwanted contact.
The message behind the new training is clear: early identification of stalking saves lives.
What the training will cover
The project aims to equip professionals with the knowledge and confidence to:
- Identify stalking behaviours early
- Understand why ex‑partner stalking is particularly high risk
- Recognise how stalking differs from harassment
- Apply a basic understanding of stalking law
- Assess risk and put effective safeguarding measures in place
- Signpost victims to specialist stalking support
The training draws on lived experience, evidence and best practice to strengthen how agencies respond to stalking and to help prevent serious harm before it occurs.
Who the training is for
The 4‑hour interactive online sessions, running throughout March, are suitable for anyone working with the public, including:
- Specialist domestic abuse practitioners
- Family support and early help workers
- Victim advocates
- Social workers
- Housing officers
- Youth workers
- Police officers and staff
By building confidence and understanding among those most likely to come into contact with victims, the partnership between the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Hollie Gazzard Trust aims to ensure more people are protected sooner – and fewer families experience the devastation that Hollie’s did.