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Cleveland Police is working with local hotels and premises to help tackle child sexual exploitation and protect vulnerable young people in their communities.
Operation Makesafe is a national campaign which aims to help the hospitality sector identify potential victims of child exploitation and appropriately report concerns to the police.
Hotels can be used by offenders to abuse and exploit children often due to the anonymity and privacy they provide.
In Cleveland, the force is working closely with hospitality staff and has delivered training to employees to help raise awareness about the signs to look out for.
Training has so far taken place with hotels in Middlesbrough and Stockton but the force is also looking to roll this out to even more hotels including those in Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland.
Internal training has also taken place in Cleveland Police’s Force Control Room and among frontline cops so that Operation Makesafe incidents can be appropriately dealt with.
“It’s crucial we do everything we can to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and bring those responsible to justice.
“By giving staff the training to be able to spot possible exploitation, we’re giving them the confidence to question situations that don’t feel right and report concerns to us so we can take action.
“I’d like to thank the hospitality staff we have so far worked with. Their support and vigilance is key to help us safeguard more young people. If any hotels haven’t yet received training from us but would like to then please get in touch.”
Detective Sergeant John Bentley from Cleveland’s Complex Exploitation Team.
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