Cyber Stalking and Harassment (840A/20)
Request
1. What NPCC guidelines you are required to follow for the collection of mobile evidence. Can you please provide a copy of the guidelines.
2. What evidence is usually sought for collection in a cyber stalking or harassment case.
3. How many cases of stalking or harassment have been recorded (with figures per year) over the past 5 years. I am specifically interested in those using digital platforms to carry out the harassment or stalking, i.e. cyber enabled crimes
Response
Q1 – Under section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you. The information you requested is available on the NPCC website via the following link:
Q2 – Under section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you. The information you requested is contained within the ‘Joint NPCC and CPS Stalking or Harassment Evidence Checklist on the CPS website at the following link:
Q3 – Please find attached (840A_20_attachment.pdf).
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from a number of data sources used by forces for police purposes. The detail collected to respond specifically to your request is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when interpreting those data.
The figures provided therefore are our best interpretation of relevance of data to your request, but you should be aware that the collation of figures for ad hoc requests may have limitations and this should be taken into account when those data are used.
If you decide to write an article / use the enclosed data we would ask you to take into consideration the factors highlighted in this document so as to not mislead members of the public or official bodies, or misrepresent the relevance of the whole or any part of this disclosed material.