Devon and Cornwall police have acknowledged that they could make more use of new legal powers to tackle stalking, after research found a very low take-up by forces across England.

Stalking Protection Orders were introduced in January 2020, giving police the power to impose restrictions on suspected stalkers to stop their behaviour escalating.

Figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service indicate that so far, just 294 of the orders have been granted across England.

With 21 orders obtained last year, Devon and Cornwall Police have the fifth highest number, as some forces have not even applied for any SPOs.

It comes at a time when the number of recorded stalking offences has been rising steadily across the country. Nationally more than 55,000 stalking incidents were recorded by police in the nine months to December 2020 alone. In Devon and Cornwall, 648 incidents were recorded between April and December 2020 - compared with just 136 in 2015.

Nub News contacted Devon and Cornwall Police to ask why the number of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) they have obtained appears so low, in proportion to the number of offences.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Tarr, the force lead for stalking and harassment, said: "While we are pleased that Devon & Cornwall Police ranks quite highly in the use of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOS), we recognise that those numbers could be higher.

"We are, through internal training and communications, reinforcing awareness of the effectiveness of SPOS and educating our officers to use them when appropriate.

"Compared with other forces we are doing quite well. We imposed 21 SPOs last year, and so far this year have obtained seven."

More cyber stalking reported during Covid lockdowns

DCI Tarr added that the figures showing a steep rise in stalking offences don't give the full picture.

He said: "There has been a change in crime recording standards which has meant that offences previously reported or recorded as harassment offences are now counted as stalking offences. This has contributed to the increase in reported stalking offences. We have adapted to these changes, and we believe victim confidence in reporting stalking has increased also, contributing to the rise in figures.

"Part of the increase also involves cyber stalking, driven by the lockdown conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, linked with a growing awareness by people that this is a form of stalking that they are victims of. The overall increase is reflected nationally."

A police spokesperson said practical measures to improve Devon & Cornwall Police's use of SPOs include additional training for officers to help them deal with stalking offences in the first instance and to safeguard victims, and to use SPOs when required. There is a dedicated team which goes to court to apply for either an interim or full SPO.

DCI Tarr said: "The purpose of an SPO is to intervene prior to conviction and address stalking behaviours and stop it from escalating to protect victims from more serious harm. An interim order is for those who are at immediate risk of harm, and they can be obtained really quickly."

"SPOs are not the only method by which stalking victims can be safeguarded, but Devon & Cornwall Police takes every report of stalking seriously. With confidence, if you are in immediate danger, you can call 999. Similarly use one of our many non-emergency contact methods to let us know what is happening if you believe you are a victim of stalking. We will listen."