Dedicated child exploitation teams now established

To help improve our response to child exploitation, we are pleased to share that our new child exploitation teams are now up and running.

We recognised that as an organisation our response to child exploitation needed to improve and this was highlighted in the findings made by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). Over the last 12 months we have been working hard to improve this and establish specialist teams for the city and county.

The teams have been set up to provide a proactive response to child exploitation and to target the organised criminality that sits behind exploitation, and safeguard some of the most vulnerable children in our communities. The teams will work from Lindum House in the county and Burslem Police Station in the city.

The teams provide specialist advice, guidance and case conference discussions for any cases of child exploitation deemed complex and manage serious and complex child exploitation investigations.

Detective Chief Inspector Amy Martin, head of child exploitation for the force, said: “The teams are already having a significant impact across the force and we look forward to developing this further and working closely with partners to solve problems and identify positive outcomes for the most vulnerable in our county.”

More information about child exploitation, and some of the campaign materials we have shared in the past, can be found on our website: Child criminal exploitation | Child abuse | Staffordshire Police