IN THE NEWS
POLICE REVEAL 10 OUT OF 14 LEEDS HOTELS AND PHVS FAIL TO REPORT CSE RED FLAGS
A multi-agency operation has
taken place to test the level of training and awareness in the hotel and taxi sector. The collaboration with Leeds Safeguarding Child Exploitation Team worked with police and staff from Leeds City Council Taxi and Private Hire. During the operation, a female officer, with the appearance of a girl aged under 18, and an older male colleague played the roles of a victim, with a child sexual exploitation offender. The pair visited seven hotels using seven PH companies, engaging in “red flag behaviour”, including talking about having condoms, lying about being over 18, agreeing not to tell parents where they were, talking about gifts bought and
referring to buying alcohol. Det. Sup. Heather Whoriskey, explained that behaviour should have raised significant concerns with those who witnessed it. Out of the seven hotels and PH companies, only two of seven companies raised concerns about their behaviour and alerted police, as did only two of the hotels. The drivers in the operation were also subject to “routine” checks by police and licensing staff shortly after the test journey to give them chance to raise concerns about the behaviour of their passengers. Now follow-up work is being conducted to strengthen existing CSE awareness activity in the hotel and private hire companies. DS Whoriskey said: “Those working
in the hotel and private hire economies have a vital role to play in identifying suspicious behaviour and helping us to protect children from sexual exploitation.” “The more we can do to improve people’s awareness and vigilance around the signs to look for, the more we can reduce opportunities for children to be victimised. “We are not looking to catch people in these operations, our aim is to improve how we work together to prevent and disrupt this type of offending. “We are keen to work constructively to support local businesses around this issue and have given suitable advice and will be continuing to offer awareness training for staff in these areas.”
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JANUARY 2024 PHTM
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