Police to host modern slavery conference

Devon and Cornwall Police are hosting a regional Modern Slavery Conference today to coincide with Anti Slavery Day on Saturday (18 October).

The conference is the first wave in building awareness for partners to try and combat the growing issues of slavery across the South West region.

The purpose of the conference is to outline the current national context in respect of Modern Slavery and gather ideas on how the national action plan can be implemented regionally and locally.  It is also an opportunity for practitioners to share best practice and identify the opportunities to work together.

The conference will hear from migrant worker and Victim Support experts who will be able to offer advice on how criminal gangs operate, and succeed in ruining people’s lives.  The detectives who were involved in the recent Operation Triage will also be on hand to recount how their investigations succeeded in rescuing eight victims from a house in Plymouth.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, who is the National Policing Lead for Modern Slavery, said: “The shocking truth is that centuries after the abolition of slavery, the country still plays host to it, in agricultural and industrial settings, in brothels and in private homes.  It is only through a mixture of thorough investigation and public education that we will tackle this scourge.

“I hope this conference will be a chance for us to share the hard work that our officers put into combating modern slavery whether it be through supporting victims, bringing offenders to justice, providing training, and generally working more effectively together.”

The very nature of human trafficking means that victims feel too afraid to come forward and report their situation to the police.  It is estimated that nearly three thousand people, including 600 children are exploited in the UK, and this number is sadly increasing.

PSCO Bev Faull, who works with Cornwall migrant workers says; “The largest obstacle to modern slavery is confidence in reporting it and the fear of repercussions but we have a team who are listening and willing to discuss anyone’s  concerns”.

If you have been affected or suspect a case of modern slavery, you can get help via this website www.modernslavery.co.uk which shows how to spot the signs of modern slavery, report cases and provide information about how to refer suspected victims.
You can call the police on 101 in a non-emergency, 999 for emergencies or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.