Wiltshire Police urge people to come forward with concerns of stalking
It comes as part of National Stalking Awareness Week
People in Swindon and Wiltshire with concerns of stalking are being encouraged to report their worries to the Police early on.
In the last 12 months, stalking reports to Wiltshire Police rose by 40%.
Stalking is defined as any unwanted behaviour towards another person that intentionally makes them feel scared, distressed or unsafe.
Claire Smith, Detective Chief Inspector for Wiltshire Police, told Greatest Hits Radio: “It's an improving picture. We've had an increase of reporting in the last 12 months which we see as a positive thing because the public are feeling more confident to call the police and they are reporting the concerns that they have earlier.
“We want that to continue. We want to keep improving and we want to improve on how we support people as well as how we investigate the behaviours and the offences.”
It can be difficult to differentiate stalking and harassment as they both follow similar patterns.
However, while harassment primarily aims at causing distress and disrupting someone’s life, stalking does not always come across as malignant at first.
Over time, stalking shows intentional fixated or obsessive patterns and can become very dangerous.
Ms. Smith stressed that there are preventative measures they can take – but for that they need as many early reports as possible.
“Stalking behaviours could be linked into other types of offending behaviour and we don't want there to be repeat victims. We don't want this to become a wider sort of community or societal concern.
“So if people report those behaviours as early as possible, then there are preventative measures that can be put in place as well as the slightly longer term kind of criminal justice activity as well.
“There's much that can be done to include preventative orders and we don't want people to feel that they're what they deem to be a minor matter. It doesn't need to escalate. Tell us early and we'll help you with getting the support that you need whilst we investigate what's actually taking place.”
She advises anyone who is worried they might be getting stalked to speak about their concerns.
This could be to the police, a support charity or simply a close friend.
If the assumed stalker is someone you know, she recommends reducing contact to a bare minimum if it is absolutely needed.
The most important thing to do, however, is trusting your instincts and reporting any suspicions early on before the behaviour can escalate.
“Wiltshire Police does take stalking very seriously and if you are unsure as to whether or not the behaviour you think is happening to you or somebody that you know is stalking, come talk to us”, she added.
“We can give you advice and guidance and absolutely put you in the right direction because you should be able to feel safe in your daily activities, online or in person.”