Colchester: Officers joined by cadets and council for safeguarding spot checks

Officers from Colchester Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) were joined by police cadets and council community safety colleagues for a series of safeguarding spot checks on businesses in the city.

The cadets, aged between 15 and 17, first attempted to buy alcohol and vapes from a number of premises, which resulted in one vape shop being reported to Trading Standards.

They then visited local hotels with NPT officers and tried to book rooms – a situation that should have been a red flag for reception staff. The majority of hotel staff did raise concerns but two fell short of the expected standards and will be offered refresher training.

The hotel checks form part of Operation Makesafe, a national initiative to raise awareness of child exploitation within the hospitality industry, educate staff and empower them to report concerns.

As the evening progressed, NPT officers visited licensed premises to test bar staff’s ‘Ask for Angela’ protocols – the safety scheme where people can subtly alert hospitality workers that they feel unsafe and need help.

Later in the evening, the officers also carried out joint patrols with community safety partners from Colchester City Council and the drug and alcohol dependency charity Phoenix Futures to identify and offer support and advice to people with addiction issues.

Sergeant Andrea Cameron led the operation on the night. She said:

“The spot checks are just one way we are helping to keep people safe and protect the vulnerable in the city.

“We’re not trying to catch businesses out, it’s about making sure their staff are aware of the signs of exploitation and know what to do if someone comes to them for help or they see something that concerns them.

“It was great to have the cadets along to help us, and we have a really strong relationship with the community safety officers and our charity partners. By working closely together, we are making sure people can get the right help when they need it.”

We're offering more ways for our communities to stay up to date with our work across Essex.

Our e-newsletter, Dispatch, delivers news, information, and advice from Essex Police.

Dispatch is a ‘one stop shop’ for local police news – direct from the source. 

Sign up is completely free and you can unsubscribe at any time.