DORSET Police have not made any use of new legal powers to protect victims of stalking. Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) are a new civil power available to police which impose restrictions on suspected stalkers. They are designed to make it easier to curb the behaviour of stalkers, with a lower burden of proof required than for a criminal conviction. The latest data reveals that Dorset Police are one of just four forces who have failed to apply for a single order, which have been available to police forces in England and Wales since January 2020. In Dorset no orders were applied for, despite a sharp spike in stalking incidents - in 2019 there were 416 incidents of stalking compared to 780 incidents in 2020.