Met’s stalking unit recognised nationally in police awards

Two Met police officers have been rewarded for their outstanding work in tackling violence against women and girls by winning two National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) awards.

Detective Inspector Karen Butler and Acting Detective Inspector Stephen Kelly, who are both part of the Met’s Stalking Threat Assessment Centre, won the accolades for their dedication to detecting behaviour changes in stalking perpetrators.

The Met is a partner agency in the Stalking Threat Assessment Centre, which aims to reduce reoffending in stalkers and improve outcomes for victims. It also provides advice to officers investigating stalking allegations. 

Recent figures show that as a result of Stephen and Karen’s intervention, reoffending in over 300 high-risk offenders was reduced by 78 per cent.

The detective inspectors attended an awards ceremony hosted by the NPCC in central London yesterday, Tuesday, 17 September.

They were joined by Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap who oversee frontline policing operations in the Met.

Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, said: “I am extremely proud of Karen and Stephen, who have been rightly rewarded for their incredible efforts in supporting the London response to stalking. This win is helping to show Londoners we are going above and beyond to crack down on violence against women and girls.

“As part of our commitment to tackling crime that impacts the lives of women and girls, our teams are leading the way in using cutting-edge technology to better target predatory offenders and using new techniques to identify stalkers as early as possible.”

Detective Inspector, Karen Butler and Acting Detective Inspector, Stephen Kelly, said: “We feel incredibly honoured to have won this award and delighted that the very important work the Met’s Stalking Threat Awareness Centre does has been recognised nationally.

“We are proud of the work we do and are lucky to work with a brilliant team that we can rely on to help us in our mission to tackle stalking, from spotting the signs of being stalked, to helping those who’ve been affected.”

As part of the New Met for London plan, the Met is continuing to bolster resources for its frontline officers, to ensure they are supported with up-to-date advice, guidelines and threat assessment, so stalking victims are safeguarded and their cases effectively investigated.

The Met is also working with the health sector to encourage positive behavioural changes in offenders, by offering a mental health program and probation management following sentencing.

Stalking and harassment is when someone repeatedly behaves in a way that makes you feel scared, distressed or threatened. If this unwanted behaviour happens two times or more, it may be a crime and you can report it to us.