Police officers in Staffordshire will receive further training to spot signs of Modern Slavery to help combat the crime, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner says.
All frontline officers across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent will now receive training focussed on Modern Slavery provided by the College of Policing.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Arnold said the training will cover the signs to look for, the law surrounding Modern Slavery and how and where victims should be referred for further help and protection.
The training follows wider work by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire to highlight Modern Slavery in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
A conference on Modern Day Slavery was staged by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Staffordshire in December 2015. It was attended by over 500 local businesses and professionals. Feedback from the Modern Day Slavery conference has revealed professionals who attended have more awareness about the crime and have even made referrals to police in Staffordshire.
Since the start of 2015 and up to start of March this year, 17 victims of Modern Slavery in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have been taken to safety under the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) run by the National Crime Agency. The figure includes 13 victims rescued by Staffordshire Police since the start of 2016.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Arnold has also joined a national network, on behalf of Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis, to help highlight and tackle modern slavery and its impact across the County and Stoke-on-Trent. The network will allow PCCs across the UK to tackle the issue of modern slavery by sharing best practice to identify and convict offenders.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Arnold said: “Spotting the signs of Modern Slavery is not always easy or obvious and sometimes can be hidden in plain sight. We know Modern Slavery is taking place in Staffordshire and that it is everyone’s responsibility, not just the police’s, to tackle this terrible crime.
“We know that those who carry out this crime are manipulative and coerce and control victims to avoid detection.
“After the conference in December, Chief Constable Jane Sawyers agreed to make the College of Policing training compulsory for all officers in Staffordshire. This is part of our wider work to highlight Modern Slavery and to support the police in their fight against criminals.
“The conference in December highlighted the risks of slavery, people trafficking and forced labour to local businesses and professionals as well as explaining the signs to look out for. We have received good feedback from those who attended the conference about the difference it has made to the way they work.
“It is estimated that 29.8 million people around the world are currently affected by modern day slavery and it is an issue which we all need to face and be aware of.”
Modern slavery can take many forms including the trafficking of people, forced labour, servitude and slavery. Victims can be men, women and children but it is most common amongst the vulnerable, and within minority or socially excluded groups.
Detective Chief Inspector Amanda Davies said: “It is everyone’s responsibility to be able to spot the signs of act. This training will enable officers to do this with confidence, to support those most vulnerable to these crimes”
Senior Investigating Officers and a number of other frontline officers will also receive bespoke training funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire and provided through the charity Hope for Justice.
Supporting victims and witnesses is one of four key priorities in Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis’ Safer, Fairer United Communities strategy for more local and effective policing in the county.
Presentations from the Staffordshire conference from speakers including Paul Broadbent, Chief Executive of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority and Helen Gordos from the UK Human Trafficking Centre can be found at www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/modern-slavery/
