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UKHTC NEWS
UKHTC Supports the Launch of Blue Blindfold in Ireland
Nick Kinsella, Chief Executive of the UK Human Trafficking Centre gave his support to the launch of Blue Blindfold in Ireland on Tuesday 21 October. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., together with Mr. Fachtna Murphy, Commissioner of An Garda Síochána launched the awareness raising campaign. The UKHTC supports the 29th Annual Crime Stoppers International Conference
The UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) will be supporting the forthcoming Crime Stoppers International conference. Grahame Maxwell, Programme Director of the UKHTC and Nick Kinsella, Head of the Centre will be attending the 29th annual conference, which takes place between 6 and 9 August in Iowa, America. One of the major themes of the conference will be the trafficking of human beings. Yorkshire organisations lead the way on combating human trafficking
Yorkshire organisations are leading the way in an integrated marketing effort to raise awareness of the despicable human trafficking crime, known as modern day slavery. Principles Agency, the Leeds-based strategic advertising, marketing and media agency and the Sheffield-based United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC), are the creative masterminds behind the national Blue Blindfold campaign. UKHTC and the POPPY Project
The UKHTC is a centre of expertise for the investigation of human trafficking. The POPPY Project supports women trafficked into prostitution in the UK. Sussex Crimestoppers Launches Blue Blindfold
Crimestoppers launched the Blue Blindfold campaign in Sussex on 4 July. The Blue Blindfold material was launched by the UK Human Trafficking Centre in 2007 and it has supported the nation-wide operation Pentameter 2. The thought provoking slogan “Don’t close your eyes to human trafficking” accompanied by an eye-catching photo of someone wearing a blue blindfold, encourages members of the public to report any possible signs of trafficking in their local area.Internal Trafficking - What is it?
In addition to children being trafficked into the UK from abroad, British national children or young people can also be victims of trafficking within the UK. This is often identified in situations where the victims are moved from one location to another irrespective of distance. This may be actually within a town or between towns and cities in the UK, very often for the purposes of sexual exploitation. MAJOR POLICE PROBE INTO TRAFFICKING LEADS TO 528 ARRESTS
The largest ever police crackdown on Human Trafficking resulted in police recovering 167 victims and arresting 528 criminals associated with one of the worst crimes threatening our society. Human Trafficking victims are brought to the UK and sold as commodities for the purposes of sexual exploitation, domestic servitude or forced labour. In the fight to make the UK a hostile environment for trafficking and protect victims and potential victims from this abhorrent crime police carried out 6 months of targeted operations. The Blue Blindfold campaign: Supporter of the largest policing operation to tackle human trafficking
It could be in your town, on your street or in your workplace, is the message from the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC), as they continue to encourage members of the general public to become aware of human trafficking. Pentameter starts today
Wednesday 3rd October 2007 saw the launch of Operation Pentameter 2 by the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon. Jacqui Smith MP. The main aims of Operation Pentameter 2 includes identifying and disrupting those involved in human trafficking, rescuing victims, improving our knowledge and understanding of trafficking and raising awareness of this form of criminality. Pentameter 2 aims to ensure the United Kingdom becomes hostile territory for those criminals who engage in 21st century slavery. The UK through this initiative is launching a fresh campaign to combat trafficking in this the 200th year since Parliament passed the Act to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire. If you have information about human trafficking then the police can help. In the case of important urgent information that requires an immediate response contact any Police Officer, your local Police force or dial 999. Alternatively if you are a victim, or have information that will help lead to the identification and recovery of victims in the UK, you can contact CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111 and give information, this can be done anonymously and you may be able to claim a reward. Statement by Dr Tim Brain, Chief Constable Gloucestershire Police U.S. and UK Agencies to Join Forces in
Combating Human Trafficking
The man caring for human traffic
What would you do if
a victim of human trafficking walked into your station confused, emotional
and desperate for help? How would you communicate with them in the
right way to win their trust if they hardly spoke any English? Thanks to
the recent launch of the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC), there’s
now a national team working to make advice for frontline cops more
readily available. Yorkshire stands up against human trafficking
http://www.yorkshireurope.be/Whatsnew.asp?ai_id_news=92&ab_from_home=1 Sermon by the Rt. Rev. Jack NICHOL Bishop of Sheffield,
given at Sheffield Cathedral on Sunday 25th March 2007
25th March 1807 was the day Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, outlawing slave carrying by British ships in the British Empire. A sermon was delivered to the Sheffield Legal Services group, an audience
comprised of Judges, Barristers and other representatives of the legal
profession, on the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Save Trade Act. Statement by HM Chief Inspectorate of Constabulary following
the publication of the UK action plan on tackling human trafficking
2007 marks the Bi-Centenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade in the former British Empire. It is entirely appropriate therefore that the Government today publishes its plan to counter what many refer to as the “Modern Day Slave Trade”. HM Inspectorate welcomes the UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking and recognises that Human Trafficking, in all its forms, represents serious criminal behaviour. HMIC will work with the Police Service and its partners, to assist where possible, with the implementation of the plan and will ensure that issues surrounding human trafficking are effectively incorporated into the Inspectorate’s Serious and Organised Crime Inspection Protocols. HM Inspectorate will work in partnership with the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC), to fully integrate human trafficking into policing and ensure that it becomes part of "core" police business. Sir Ronnie Flanagan HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Graham Maxwell, ACPO lead on Human
Trafficking, Deputy Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police AND THE Programme
Director for the UKHTC said: New Centre Channels Expertise to
end 'Modern Day Slavery'
The United Kingdom’s response to human trafficking is to be revolutionised by a dedicated unit bringing enforcement, intelligence gathering, training, victim care and protection and research functions under one roof. From today (3 October) the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) will co-ordinate and direct the law enforcement response to trafficking in this country. Although the centre is an ACPO led-initiative, a unique multi-agency set up means that expertise from a number of disciplines can be brought together. DCC Grahame Maxwell, ACPO lead on human trafficking, Deputy Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police and programme director for UKHTC said: “Today marks another step forward in the fight against those involved in heinous crimes of trafficking human beings. It will enable a more comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to the problem than ever before, bringing in partners from a number of agencies with the desire and expertise to tackle this twenty-first century slavery.” Experts from the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service), SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency), and IND, (Immigration and Nationality Directorate) will join experienced police officers in tackling the causes and consequences of trafficking in the UK. Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Kinsella, head of centre said: “The creation of this centre will reach across Europe and beyond, by disrupting the lucrative and cruel trade that is human trafficking. Not only will it co-ordinate enforcement activity, empowering front line officers to identify and rescue people who have already fallen prey to criminal gangs, it will aim to dismantle the networks, cut off the demand and curtail the supply of victims. The set up will allow us to work more closely that ever before with colleagues around Europe and in other source countries.” The new centre will broaden the scope of UK investigations in to trafficking, which have previously centred largely around trafficking for sexual exploitation. DCC Maxwell added: “Operation Pentameter conducted in 2006 led to the rescue of 84 trafficked women, and highlighted the prevalence of trafficking for sexual exploitation. It was a huge step forward in terms of our intelligence gathering, and gave us a much greater insight into the nature and scale of the problem we are dealing with. The introduction of the UKHTC will allow us to learn about and work to combat other, lesser well understood problems such as trafficking for domestic servitude and forced labour, and indeed child trafficking in relation to which we will work closely with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP).” The centre will aim to prevent human trafficking by building knowledge
and understanding of the harms it causes, ultimately directing and prioritising
the UK law enforcement response. Our work will involve developing and delivering
training for a wide range of law enforcement officers as well as engaging
us in prevention and public awareness raising campaigns. |
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The U.S. and UK governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding
today at the U.S. Embassy in London to improve international cooperation
to combat human trafficking. The Association of Chief Police Officers
(ACPO) lead on human trafficking and Chief Constable of North Yorkshire
Police Grahame Maxwell represented the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC)
and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) John P. Clark represented the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security.
To mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in the
UK,
a movement started by Hull MP William Wilberforce, Yorkshireurope was
graced by some of the biggest names in UK policing, to raise the EU’s
awareness of human trafficking.