The Suzy Lamplugh Trust submitted a super complaint, external in 2022 about how police forces dealt with stalking.
The response, external was published in September following an investigation by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, senior representatives from the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), and the College of Policing.
It found “significant changes are needed” to improve the police’s response to reports of stalking, including making SPOs simpler and easier to use.
The trust’s head of policy and campaigns, Saskia Garner, said “stalking protection orders are being far too underused by police”.
The charity wanted to see them used “as the first step to protecting a victims in the very earliest stages of reporting stalking”, she said.
The National Police Chiefs Council said SPOs were a “valuable tool”.
“We are working hard to drive best practice nationally across forces, ensuring orders are applied and utilised across the board, so the police response to stalking is more consistent and our service to victims is improved,” it said.
