INSPECTOR JAMES WYATT
One of my responsibilities within Surrey Police is the Divisional Lead to tackle Modern Slavery and I’d like to use this month’s article to highlight this issue. Modern Slavery is the illegal exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain. It covers a wide range of exploitation including forced labour, sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, domestic servitude and organ harvesting.
Victims of modern slavery can be any age, gender, nationality and ethnicity. They are tricked or threatened into work and may feel unable to leave or report the crime through fear or intimidation. They may not recognise themselves as a victim.
Modern Slavery is something that happens across Surrey and therefore it’s important that we know what signs to look out for. The signs aren’t always obvious, however they may include some of the following:
do they look scruffy, malnourished or injured?
are they acting anxious, afraid or unable to make eye contact?
are they working long hours, wearing unsuitable clothing or have the wrong equipment for the job?
is where they are living overcrowded, poorly maintained or are the curtains always closed?
do they behave like they’re being instructed by someone else, picked up/dropped off at the same time and place every day or don’t have access to money or identification?
As part of our commitment to tackling this crime we take part in regular intensification weeks across the Borough to tackle Modern Slavery. The recent intensification week focused on child trafficking where local teams carried out awareness work across the Borough, highlighting the signs of Modern Slavery to communities. We also worked with our colleagues in British Transport Police to carry out joint patrols of train stations across the Borough.
Surrey Police work closely with partner agencies to respond to reports of Modern Slavery and reports from the community play an important role in this. If you recognise any of the signs and suspect someone may be a victim of Modern Slavery, please report this to Surrey Police online or by 101. You can also speak confidentially to the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000121700 or make an anonymous report to
Crimestoppers on 0800555111.
