Detective Chief Inspector Mick Richards said training for officers was improved and said the force was the first in the country to push for Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) to stop offenders. He said: “We are committed to continually improving our understanding of stalking and harassment and our response to it. We want victims to be confident and know we will take all reports seriously.” SPOs can enforce a two year ban on offenders, but as part of the week-long awareness campaign DCI Richards said there are steps victims can take to protect themselves. He said: “In particular, don’t be tempted to block your caller, delete messages or throw away gifts as they could be used as evidence later on.
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The law, known as a Stalking Protection Order (SPO), aims to give greater protection to victims.
Sussex Police became the first force in the country to enforce an SPO when the law came into effect in January last year.
Since then it has seen 29 court orders used to protect victims, while seven more cases are still awaiting hearings.
DCI Richards said: “These orders, which we seek from magistrates, have been an important development in helping us to better protect victims in stalking cases.
“Subjects can be prohibited from contacting the named person on the order by any means, directly or indirectly. This includes contact in person, telephone calls, letters, emails, messages and social media.
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