Stalking Awareness Week training courses | North West
As a Detective Constable in Merseyside Police in 1986, I remember very well the case of 25 year old estate agent Suzy Lamplugh who vanished on a routine showing of a house to a client in Fulham. Following her disappearance forces around the country spent considerable time and resources on giving women information on personal safety. I remember at the time giving presentations to women working in the local authority and Government offices around Bootle, were I was stationed at the time.
Very shortly after Suzy’s disappearance her parents Paul and Diana Lamplugh established a Trust in her memory. That Trust has continued to work with vulnerable groups to raise the awareness of personal safety and the causes and solutions to violence and aggression in society. Suzy’s body was never recovered and in 1993 she was pronounced as legally dead and presumed murdered. The case remains open.
During the 1990’s the word ‘stalking’ entered into common usage as describing a pattern of unwanted behaviour that causes anyone to be distressed or scared. It can be perpetrated by a man and a woman. Sadly a number of these offences progress to violence and murder. During 2018 an Act of Parliament will bring forth The Stalking Protection Bill which will introduce Stalking Protection Orders to safeguard the safety of stalking victims.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has been instrumental in fighting for the rights of victims and bringing the issues to the attention of as many people as possible. Very sadly the police do not have the resources that they once had to give talks to vulnerable groups.
On Monday 9th April 2018, Andrew Burke a 31 year old male from St Helens was sentenced to 28 years for the murder of Cassie Hayes in a travel agents shop in Southport in January. The day before he committed the horrific murder Burke had been convicted of harassing his former partner.
Week commencing 16th April 2018 has been designated National Stalking Awareness Week.
To give our support to the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and other agencies working in the field, GSTS has put together our own Stalking Awareness Course which covers module such as:
– Home safety
– Personal Safety
– Workplace safety
– Driving safety
– Cyber Safety
– Situational awareness
– Counter surveillance techniques
I am very proud to say that during week commencing 16th April, our specialist trainers will be delivering this course to some of our partner agencies across Liverpool. For further information, and if you would like us to deliver this course to your own group, please contact Robbie Whelan our Training Manager.
Dave Potts
CEO
