By 
A total of 18 people have been arrested for stalking in the three district council areas covering Tyrone since new legislation was introduced a year ago.
During the last 12 months, there were four arrests in the Fermanagh and Omagh District, a further six in Mid Ulster, which covers Dungannon, Cookstown and the Clogher Valley, and eight in Derry City and Strabane, which also includes Castlederg and Newtownstewart.
New legislation criminalising stalking was brought into force in 2022. Those convicted of stalking face a penalty of up to ten years in prison.
PSNI Superintendent, Lindsay Fisher, said stalking could take many forms, could be online as well as in person and could be someone known to the victim or a complete stranger.
“It often results in fear, trauma and a reduction in the victim’s quality of life, in some tragic cases it has resulted in murder,” she said.
“Over 4,500 officers and staff have now been trained to recognise and respond to these crimes and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring offenders to justice.”
She added that statistics showed that people suffered up to 100 incidents before reporting stalking.
Belfast had the highest number of arrests by district at 20, with Newry Mourne and Down next highest at 15 and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon and Antrim and Newtownabbey on nine each.