The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners

APCC comment on police forces’ progress in improving their response to stalking

04 August 2025

VAWG News Victims

The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has published a progress report (1 August 2025) on police forces’ actions in response to recommendations following the Suzy Lamplugh Trust super-complaint on stalking. The Trust, on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium, had raised concerns about the police response to stalking.

In September 2024 the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and the College of Policing (CoP) published recommendations on how organisations across policing could better respond to cases of stalking.

Commenting on the NPCC’s report on forces’ action plans, the APCC’s Joint Leads for Victims, Clare Moody and Matthew Scott, said:

“The NPCC recognises the progress made by forces and highlights examples of good practice in addressing stalking across England and Wales. However, it also identifies several areas for improvement, including the need to address inconsistencies in the support provided to stalking victims across regions and forces.

“PCCs and Deputy Mayors, as the statutory commissioners of victim services, play a critical role in ensuring access to specialist stalking support and will continue to work collaboratively with chief constables and local partners to identify and embed best practice, develop stalking services that address local needs and to drive consistency and improvement across all areas.”

 “Sustainable and long-term funding for PCCs and local partners is key to improving support and outcomes for the victims of stalking and we call on government to prioritise this in its upcoming VAWG Strategy and spending review.”

Notes

  • Clare Moody is PCC for Avon & Somerset.
  • Matthew Scott is PCC for Kent.
  • The NPCC’s progress report on police forces’ actions can be seen here.
  • The full APCC response to the recommendations and a summary version published in January 2025 can be found via the gov.uk website.
  • The Suzy Lamplugh Trust super-complaint on stalking can be found here.
  • The police super-complaints system enables certain Home Office-designated organisations to raise systemic issues within policing in England and Wales on the public’s behalf that are not otherwise dealt with by the existing complaints system. More information on the police super complaints system is available on gov.uk.