Warwickshire Police has become the first force in the West Midlands and one of a small number of forces nationally to implement Modern Slavery Victim Liaison Officers into its teams.
The role – originally developed by Greater Manchester Police in 2015 – is intended to provide a more effective service to any victims or potential victims of modern slavery identified by the police.
This year Warwickshire Police elected to improve their service to modern slavery victims by implementing victim liason officers to secure the trust, confidence and co-operation of victims or potential victims and to ensure their safeguarding while securing a positive outcome and providing support.
The officers can also act as the single point of contact for the victim or potential victim in the early stages of a police investigation, providing guidance and information around the police procedures and processes.
With support from the West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network and the National Crime Agency, Warwickshire Police has trained 14 officers to fulfil the roles. They undertook three-day training programmes which featured subject areas including modern slavery legislation, crime recording, spotting the signs and indicators, providing trauma informed victim care and guidance.
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Lead for Warwickshire Police, Det Insp Dave Andrews said: “The role will complement our increased number of specially trained Modern Slavery Specialist Investigators to not only raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking within our local policing teams but also in our communities, while enabling us to provide a more effective initial response to incidents involving victims or potential victims of modern slavery.
“We continue to work closely with our partners to ensure any victims identified in Warwickshire are given the best possible support, and by having these newly trained officers, we will be able to offer a heightened service to ensure they get the necessary support and safeguarding they need.”
