What is Op Makesafe?

FORCEWIDE

What is Op Makesafe and why are we asking you to quote it when you call us in our latest campaign?

On Monday 18 March, Child Exploitation Awareness Day, we launched our latest campaign ‘Look Again’ which focuses on raising awareness around child criminal and sexual exploitation in our communities.

It aims to help members of the public, local businesses, and the wider community, spot the signs of exploitation, and know how to report it.

We’ve been asking you to quote ‘Op Makesafe’ when you call us on 101, or 999 in an emergency, if you have suspicions or concerns that someone you know is being exploited, but why?

Operation Makesafe is a national campaign that began in South Yorkshire Police in 2013 but was then further developed in the Metropolitan Police in 2014 in partnership with London’s boroughs. Its core aim is to empower businesses and organisations to tackle exploitation through increased awareness and training by being able to identify potential victims of child sexual and criminal exploitation, and where necessary alert police officers to intervene to safeguard any at risk children.

Since then, the City of London, Merseyside, Surrey, Sussex, Lancashire, Herts, Gwent Constabularies, and now us here at Humberside Police have done some key work around this topic to work together with partners, members of the public, local businesses, and communities to help put a stop to child exploitation.

Superintendent Phil Booker who heads up our Protecting Vulnerable People Unit said: “Local and national evidence shows that child exploitation can take place in hotels, pubs, cafes, and places licensed to sell alcohol. Taxis can also be used to transport young people who are then exploited.

“We are working to make sure people employed in these environments can spot the warning signs and have the confidence to report their concerns by talking to their supervisor and calling 101, quoting Operation Makesafe – or 999 in an emergency.

“Exploitation can affect any child or young person under the age of 18 years, and any vulnerable adult over the age of 18 too. It’s important to remember that even if the activity appears to be consensual it can still be exploitation; we find that many people who are being exploited do not recognise themselves as a victim.

“It can be difficult to identify victims and perpetrators of exploitation as there is no clear, specific stereotype when it comes to this nature of crime. A misconception is that people need to be looking out for young girls with significantly older boyfriends, however, according to data from the NPCC, 52% of all cases involved reports of children aged 10-17 offending against other children, with 14 being the most common age.

“With that being said, whilst age may be the most obvious sign, the power imbalance that presents itself between an exploiter and their subject, can also be due to a range of other factors including gender, cognitive ability, physical strength, status, and access to economic or other resources.

“These young people are often also criminalised, and we’ve been using this campaign as a catalyst to change that misconception. They are not criminals. They are vulnerable victims who need safeguarding, and it is crucial that we continue to receive information from you to be able to investigate, prosecute, and seek justice for victims and their families.

“Policing is absolutely committed to keeping children safe and protecting them from abuse in all its forms, and bringing more offenders to justice whenever and wherever these abhorrent crimes are being committed.

“For more information on what to look out for and how to report your concerns or suspicions, visit our dedicated campaign page, here.”