Newly released figures from the Home Office showed that there were more than 3,000 stalking offences were recorded by Avon and Somerset police in 2021, compared to 2,778 in 2020. The equivalent of around nine stalking offences a day were recorded last year across Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) and Somerset.
In Bristol, 1,049 stalking offences were recorded, which at 2.3 per 1,000 residents was the highest rate in the southwest region. This was closely followed by North Somerset with a 2.0 offence rating. Separate figures show that of 3,169 stalking cases closed by Avon and Somerset police in 2021, 122 (4 per cent) resulted in a suspect being charged – lower than the 8 per cent charge rate for all crimes.
A further 1,885 (59 per cent) of stalking cases were closed after the alleged victim did not support further action, compared to 35 per cent recorded for all crime types.
