Cheshire Constabulary is committed to dealing with reports of
Stalking and Harassment and takes all reports of
this crime very seriously.
In 2009, the national Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment
and Honour Based Violence (DASH) checklist was introduced to ensure
all police services and a large number of partner agencies across
the UK use a common checklist for identifying and assessing
risk.
The DASH checklist has been adopted by Cheshire
Constabulary and its partners. The main aims of this are:
- To save lives through early risk
identification, intervention and prevention
- To create a standardised tool to refer cases
to the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), to share
information and manage risk effectively.
If there is a pattern of harassing behaviour, then officers will
always seek to apprehend the stalker and hold them to account for
their actions.
It is not necessary to warn the stalker in the
first instance or give them words of advice. Harassment is a crime
which is best tackled through prosecution. Cheshire Constabulary
will seek to support you throughout this process in partnership
with our multi-agency partners.
Anyone being stalked or harassed should come forward to
get the assistance that Cheshire Constabulary is able to
provide.
Stalking and harassment is difficult to define since it can
incorporate such a wide variety of behaviours and motives. There
are many forms of harassment ranging from unwanted attention from
somebody seeking a romantic relationship to violent predatory
behaviour.
The most common forms of harassment are:
- Frequent, unwanted contact e.g. appearing at the home or
workplace
- Telephone calls, text messages or other contact such as via the
internet (i.e. social networking sites).
- Driving past the victim’s home or work.
- Following or watching the victim
- Damaging the victim’s property
- Sending letters or unwanted gifts to the victim
- Burglary or robbery of the victim’s home, workplace, vehicle or
other
- Threats of harm to the victim and/or others associated with
them (including sexual violence and threats to kill)
- Harassment of people associated with the victim (e.g. family
members, partner, work colleagues)
- Physical and/or sexual assault of the victim and even
murder.
Other forms of stalking behaviour can be:
- Breaking into victim’s home
- Abusing victim’s pets
- Threatening to harm children
- Identity theft
Stalkers are not always known to the victim, but in the vast
majority of cases there will be some association – either casual or
intimate – between the victim and their stalker. In most cases, the
victim and their stalker will previously have been in an intimate
relationship.
Additional tips
- Do not engage with your stalker in any way.
- Talk to neighbours, friends, colleagues or your manager
about the harrassment if you feel comfortable doing so. They may be
able to help by collecting furhter evidence on your behalf or by
putting protective measures in place.
- Be aware of how much of your personal information is in the
public domain and take steps to protect your data.
- Complete the Stalking Risk Checklist by going to www.stalkinghelpline.org/faq
and take it with you to the police.
- Above everything, trust your instincts.