34 cases of alleged stalking in NMD – Photo 1 of 1

There have been 34 alleged stalkers arrested in Newry Morne and Down in the past two years.

As part of National Stalking Awareness Week, which started yesterday (Monday, April 22), the Police Service of Northern Ireland has published updated figures on arrests and stalking protection orders to showcase the successes of the past two years and encourage more victims to come forward to report.

In April 2022, new legislation was introduced in Northern Ireland, making stalking a criminal offense for the first time. Since then, up to March 31, 2024, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has arrested 312 alleged stalkers and charged 150. Since October 2023, officers have also made the first successful application for a Stalking Protection Order to protect victims and impose bans. behavior of the suspected perpetrator.

Chief Inspector Lindsay Fisher, from the agency’s Public Protection Department, said: “We are asking the public not to ignore the warning signs. When someone’s behavior toward you is fixated, obsessive, unwanted, and repetitive, it is stalking.

“It is an insidious crime that takes over and destroys lives. Statistics show that people will experience up to 100 incidents before reporting it to the police. It often results in fear, trauma and a reduction in the victim’s quality of life; in some tragic cases it has led to murder.

“Stalking is a crime that will not be tolerated or accepted within our communities. Thousands of our officers and staff are now trained to recognize and respond to these crimes, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring offenders to justice.

“We make arrests every week and the Stalking Protection Orders enable our officers to act quickly and decisively, imposing restrictions and enforcing offences, and treating these as criminal offences.”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has provided an overview of stalking and harassment behavior to look out for on their website.

Warning signs of a stalker can be:

• Regularly follow someone and track their movements

• Repeatedly going home or working uninvited

• Monitor someone’s Internet usage, email, or other communications

• Hang out in a place they know the person frequents

•Interfering with their property

•To keep an eye on or spy on someone

•Identity theft (buying things in someone’s name)

If you experience any of the above problems or are concerned about a loved one who may be stalking, report it to the police on 101 or in an emergency call 999.

There is also other help and support available to you:

National Stalking Helpline

Practical advice and information for anyone who is currently or has previously experienced harassment or stalking. Phone: 0808 8020300