Electronic tags could alert victims if stalkers are nearby

STALKERS could be forced to wear electronic tags that alert their victims if they close by, police in London have said.

The Metropolitan Police is exploring the initiative in a bid to crack down on stalking cases, as Cressida Dick, the commissioner, admitted officers had let down victims in the past.

The number of stalking cases in London doubled from 2016 to 2017, from 622 incidents to 1,197 recorded by the Met, amid fears many cases go unreported because victims do not feel confident enough to come forward or are afraid of the consequences if they do.

Ms Dick unveiled plans to tackle the crime, including a new task force incorporating police and mental health professionals, overseen by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

She said: “I am not here to defend where we have failed in the past. Maybe we have not given it as much focus as we could. We are striving to get better.” As part of the plans, police are looking at a new way of tagging offenders to alert their victims if they are nearby.

DI Lee Barnard, who will be leading the unit for the Met, said: “In terms of technology, we are already engaged with a firm in relation to electronic tagging for perpetrators and proximity alerts for victims to give them a warning when the individual may be near.”

Asked whether stalking was underreported, he said: “Some reports suggest that stalking is as widespread as domestic abuse so if that is the scale of it, we are talking about potentially thousands that are unrecorded.”

Under the new plans every case of stalking reported to the Met will be initially seen by the new Stalking Threat Assessment Centre, which will then decide the best course of action for the perpetrator, whether a behavioural programme, mental health treatment, or prosecution.