a record of all the incidences whether there have been sightings, contact, calls, posts, social media comments and messages. The most upsetting is when they’ve deleted messages or voicemails. It is essential that you have all of this to demonstrate the ‘course of conduct’ that defines stalking in the law and equip the authorities to be able to act on it.


Start a journal, if you haven’t already, and keep records of times, dates, locations, screenshots, recordings and everything you can. This will help build the case and if already sufficient, be enough for the police to already go and knock on their door.


My next suggestion would be to create ‘safe spaces’. Many victims are filled with dread every time their phone rings or notifications appear on their phone or social media. This is a horrible way to live so I would recommend setting up duplicate environments you can safely go to where you can feel safe. These, for example, could be new email accounts, social media pages, and even telephone numbers, but make sure they are not with your genuine name, so easily searchable, and are private to you and only shared with your most trusted friends and contacts.


You don’t have to move your lifestyle whole- stock to these environments but they could be used as a temporary means of keeping in contact with friends, family and business contacts until you get the situation resolved.


Once you feel confident the situation is sorted, you can dispose of them if you choose. What it will give the victim is the ability to control and choose when they pick up and respond to calls or accounts that the stalker might be using and communicating through, when they’re feeling strong enough. They can even ask a friend to check first before they do.


Lastly, thankfully there are great support groups and resources now available that can provide good advice and help for virtually every type of case.


The police and Home Office are also beginning to take it more seriously, with the new Stalking Prevention Orders (SPOs) launched last year allowing the courts to act more quickly in protecting victims.


And very importantly, once you’ve reported it to the Police – keep all over them. Take the badge, contact number and email address for the officer who took your statement and


© CITY SECURITY MAGAZINE – SUMMER 2021 www.citysecuritymagazine.com


pester if it’s not gaining traction. I appreciate our police forces are overwhelmed and under- resourced but they are obliged to investigate and pursue. Pester them if you feel you’re being neglected and it’s not being taken seriously.


Will Geddes Managing Director / Founder ICP Group


www.icpgroupcompanies.com


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