More than 300 arrested for suspected stalking in Northern Ireland in two years

By Rebecca Black (PA)

More than 300 people have been arrested for alleged stalking offences in Northern Ireland in two years.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said between April 2022 and March 31 2024 officers arrested 312 alleged stalkers. Of those 150 were charged.

Most of the arrests were made in Belfast (69), followed by Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (38), Newry, Mourne and Down (34), Derry City and Strabane (32), Antrim and Newtownabbey (30), Fermanagh and Omagh (22), while 19 of the arrests were made in both Mid Ulster and Mid and East Antrim.

Meanwhile, 18 of the arrests were made in Lisburn and Castlereagh, 17 in Ards and North Down and 14 in Causeway Coast and Glens.

At the start of National Stalking Awareness Week on Monday, the PSNI also said that since October 2023, officers have made the first successful application for a Stalking Protection Order to safeguard victims and put prohibitions on alleged perpetrators’ behaviours.

Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher described stalking as an “insidious crime that takes over and destroys lives”.

“We are asking the public to not ignore the red flags. If someone’s behaviour towards you is fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated, this is stalking,” she said.

“I think many people when they hear the word ‘stalking’ will think of someone lurking in the shadows. Stalking can actually take many forms and can be online as well as in person and could be someone known to you or a complete stranger.

“It is an insidious crime that takes over and destroys lives. Statistics show that people will suffer up to 100 incidents before reporting to police.

“It often results in fear, trauma and a reduction in the victim’s quality of life. In some tragic cases it has resulted in murder.

“Stalking is a crime, which will not be tolerated or accepted within our communities.

“Thousands of our officers and staff have now been trained to recognise and respond to these crimes and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring offenders to justice.

“We are making weekly arrests and the Stalking Protection Orders are allowing our officers to take swift and decisive action, putting restrictions in place and enforcing breaches, treating them as criminal offences.”

The PSNI have described red flags of a stalker as including regularly following someone and tracking their movements, repeatedly going uninvited to their home or workplace, checking someone’s internet use, email or other communications, hanging around somewhere they know the person often visits, interfering with their property, watching or spying on someone and identity theft (buying things in someone’s name).

The PSNI has urged if someone is experiencing any of the above or is worried about a loved one who may be being stalked to report to the police on 101 or to call 999 in an emergency.

The National Stalking Helpline can be contacted on 0808 8020300.