Hertfordshire Constabulary supports National Child Exploitation Awareness Day
'One case of child exploitation is still too many.'
Messages written on palms in support of National Child Exploitation Awareness Day
Submitted by Hertfordshire Constabulary
Police officers and staff from Hertfordshire supported National Child Exploitation Awareness Day last week.
On Friday, March 18, they wrote pledges on their palms to raise awareness of this crime type.
The day is highlighted by the National Working Group’s (NWG’s) Helping Hands campaign which aims to spread the word on the signs to look out for and how to report it.
Detective Inspector Derek Gray said: “Child exploitation is a very challenging crime to investigate as it often goes under-reported due to vulnerable victims not seeing themselves as such, often because the perpetrators have groomed them into believing they are in a relationship.
"This problem has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic over the past two years, which has led to victims being harder to reach.
“But we are dedicated to building a trusted rapport with every vulnerable young person, so we can help them see what is happening before safeguarding them from further harm. In our eyes, one case of child exploitation is still too many."
Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Halo team, made up of police officers and staff dedicated to detecting, disrupting and preventing child exploitation, are leading on the force’s support for the campaign by posting photos of their ‘Helping Hands’ on social media.
The team, primarily based at police headquarters in Welwyn Garden City, is led by Detective Inspector Derek Gray, who is supported by two Detective Sergeants, four Detective Constables, four Police Constables and a child exploitation disruption coordinator.
The Halo team has been working in partnership with local hotels, including the Ibis in Stevenage town centre, to provide child exploitation awareness training sessions for staff.
This equips them with the tools to know the signs to look out for, and how to report any concerns they have. The training received positive feedback and has already resulted in intelligence being shared directly with police.
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