International Women's Day: meet our dedicated Stalking Coordinator

This International Women’s Day, we are introducing you to Derbyshire Constabulary’s very own dedicated Stalking Coordinator.

Since stepping into the specially created role, Charlotte Doohan has been working hard to make sure the force is doing everything it can to protect victims of stalking.

Charlotte puts victims at the heart of everything she does, helping those affected get the best help available and connecting them with support services. 

And because she is focussed solely on cases of stalking, Charlotte can get a better understanding of the impact it is having on the victim.

Cases of stalking are often complex, so a key part of the role is providing advice to officers, so that they can carry out the very best investigations.

Charlotte advises on various different actions that can be taken, including risk assessments and stalking protection orders. This is key to understanding these cases, putting the right resources in place and making sure victims have as much protection as possible.

She said: “I feel that being a woman definitely brings a different aspect to the role. Whilst stalking isn’t gender specific, figures show that around 1 in 6 women experience stalking in their lifetime.

"You feel as though you can put yourself in the victim’s shoes and understand what they are going through to an extent, whether it be having experienced something similar as a woman yourself or other women in your life having experienced this."

As a woman in policing, Charlotte is proud to have taken on various roles, most recently with a specialist unit working with Derbyshire Constabulary to manage the response to sexual and violent crimes.

She said: “Since leaving education I’ve always worked in a safeguarding background and been interested in working for the police, having worked with them in previous roles and knowing all the great work they did.

“When this opportunity arose, it was a no brainer for me as it was a great opportunity to have a hand in helping to safeguard the most vulnerable people within Derbyshire and try to make a change.

“I’m extremely proud to be a woman working in policing, especially within Derbyshire Constabulary. It’s now well-accepted that women are a very important part of policing and I’ve always felt supported by both male and female colleagues of all ranks.

“The opportunities I have been presented with in respect of training and personal development have been brilliant.

“It’s rewarding to know that I’m having an impact, no matter how small that may be, in tackling stalking as well as, separately, violence against women and girls.

“For any women or girls thinking about a career in the police, absolutely go for it. There are so many different areas and opportunities to explore. It’s also extremely rewarding and empowering representing women across Derbyshire, seeing the difference you can make to a victim’s life alongside helping to bring more perpetrators to justice.”

Charlotte’s role came around as part of work by Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster.

Speaking about the introduction of these specialist posts, she said: “We must do more to protect the safety of vulnerable women and girls and deliver better justice through the courts with higher-quality evidence and investigations.

“This is why I pushed hard for these posts in the first place and continue to hold the force to account for the delivery of improvements that will protect a greater number of women and girls in the future.  

“Ensuring that all the agencies involved address stalking effectively is part of my wider strategy to tackle and prevent violence against women and girls. It is a key priority for me as it is for the public here in Derbyshire so it is good to be able to showcase the progress being made.”

See Charlotte talking more about her role here:

To find out more about the opportunities we have available, visit our careers page.