Force combats child abuse by ‘flooding community with eyes and ears’
Hundreds of workers in the public arena have been trained to spot signs of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Telford as part of West Mercia Police’s commitment to crack down on the abhorrent crime.
Hotel staff, refuse collectors and taxi drivers are among those who have been advised on certain indicators that could mean a young person is being exploited.
The training comes after claims that up to 1,000 girls in Telford may have been victims of CSE since the 1980s.
West Mercia police and crime commissioner John Campion said the initiative aims to “flood our community with eyes and ears”.
Although the force recently told the BBC that 302 staff members at “major hotels” have been advised, Mr Campion says it is actually part of a much wider project that includes smaller hotels and bed and breakfast establishments.
Many major hotel chains already issue guidance on spotting signs of potential CSE, but the training offered by West Mercia Police was delivered to ensure there is a consistent approach across the industry.
“It is about giving some certainty and confidence that the police have got the support from those hoteliers and that they will know and recognise the signs of it happening in front of them,” Mr Campion added.
The signs hotel staff are told to consider include whether an adult is sharing a double bed with a child, if the young person is being dropped off in a taxi, and if the adult is paying for the room with cash.
Chamber maids are also advised to look out for contraceptives in the bins as well as evidence that drugs have been used in the room.
“It is not about snooping,” Mr Campion said. “Ultimately, this information helps give the police the richer picture to not only intervene if it’s an incident that is happening right away, but also how we can identify and locate individuals that do need that safeguarding.”
Unlicensed taxis are often linked with incidents of CSE, with a report by the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board last year highlighting how some drivers would pick up young people from schools and children’s homes and take them to be abused.
To combat this, West Mercia Police has been engaging closely with the taxi licensing authorities across the region to encourage a culture of “self-policing”.
“They had to go through some expensive hoops to become a taxi driver, and when they see people come in who aren’t meeting those standards, they often are the best eyes and ears out there,” Mr Campion said.
The force has also been undertaking ‘spot checks’ on taxis across the region, in which officers go out with the council’s licensing officers and stop taxis randomly to check they are compliant with the regulations.
Since 2016, West Mercia Police’s CSE team in Telford has arrested 56 people, resulting in 29 charges, with several of these investigations still ongoing.