Stalking Protection Orders and Interim SPO
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.027066
I note you seek access to the following information:
NEW REQUEST:
I am writing to you to follow up on an FOI request I made (01/FOI/22/026903) this month.
Firstly, thank you for your prompt response and the advice you provided in making a new request for information. According to your advice, I would like to proceed with logging Q4 and 5 in a new FOI request:
4) Of the Interim Stalking Protection Orders put before the court by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022, how many were granted by the court?
5) How many stalking incidents were recorded by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022? (If possible, please indicate the month of the incident.
Furthermore, I wanted to enquire if Q1 and 2 could be answered in the new request for Full SPOs - with Q3 and 3a being excluded - as you indicated in your reply that you do not have data for Interim Orders due to application packs generally being made for Full Orders. Moreover, as you also stated that there is no data to separate orders refused by Superintendents, Q1a will be excluded so that only information on application packs and court grants for Full SPOs will be requested in Q1 and 2:
1) How many application packs for Stalking Protection Orders were completed by police officers/staff in Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) during the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022? (If possible, please indicate the month of application. If this is too onerous, a total is sufficient).
2) Of the Stalking Protection Orders put before the court by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022, how many were granted by the court?
Thank you again for your time and I look forward to your response.
PREVIOUS REQUEST 01/FOI/22/026903:
1) How many application packs for Stalking Protection Orders were completed by police officers/staff in Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) during the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022? (If possible, please indicate the month of application. If this is too onerous, a total is sufficient).
a. Of these application packs, how many were authorised by superintendents and put before the court?
2) Of the Stalking Protection Orders put before the court by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022, how many were granted by the court?
3) How many application packs for Interim Stalking Protection Orders were completed by police officers/staff in Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) during the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022? (If possible, please indicate the month of application. If this is too onerous, a total is sufficient).
a. Of these application packs, how many were authorised by superintendents and put before the court?
4) Of the Interim Stalking Protection Orders put before the court by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022, how many were granted by the court?
5) How many stalking incidents were recorded by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022? (If possible, please indicate the month of the incident. If this is too onerous, a total is sufficient).
a. If this data is available, please indicate how many of these incidents were flagged as cyber-dependant and/or cyber-enabled.
Please provide the information in whatever form is easiest for you to provide.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose some of the requested information.
The MPS are unable to answer:
Q1 - How many application packs for Stalking Protection Orders were completed by police officers/staff in Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) during the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022? (If possible, please indicate the month of application. If this is too onerous, a total is sufficient).
Q2 - Of the Stalking Protection Orders put before the court by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022, how many were granted by the court?
Reason for decision
Q1. SPOs (Stalking Protection Orders) can be progressed by anybody across the MET; police officers and dedicated SPO SPOCS (Single Point Of Contacts). The SPOCS themselves have changed roles since January 2020 and so if they did hold this data for their own personal applications, if they have left the role they would no longer have this data, and they would not hold the data for other officers progressing SPOs. STAC only hold a record of those cases successfully progressed by police and there is no structure within the MET to search this data. It may be necessary to apply for this data from each court to assess how many applications they have received and how many were successful.
Q2. The MPS does not have a retrievable way to answer this. You may wish to contact the courts directly.
Disclosure
Q4 - Of the Interim Stalking Protection Orders put before the court by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022, how many were granted by the court?
A4. Between the dates above there were a total of 263 SPO’s granted. Full 160 and interim 103.
Q5 - How many stalking incidents were recorded by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the period 19 January 2020 – 30 April 2022? (If possible, please indicate the month of the incident.
Q5. Please see attached spreadsheet titled ‘Q5 FINAL – Stalking Offences’.