GMP continues to join forces with the hotel industry to fight child exploitation happening behind closed doors
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) conducted test purchases at city centre hotels to assess staff awareness of child exploitation signs, as part of Operation Makesafe. Most hotels successfully identified and reported suspicious activity, though one instance required further training. The initiative aims to empower businesses to act on concerns and protect vulnerable young people.
Undercover Operation Tests Manchester Hotels’ Ability to Spot Child Exploitation
Plain clothes police officers and volunteers spent Thursday night conducting test purchases at hotels across Manchester city centre to assess whether staff can identify potential child exploitation and report concerns to authorities.
The BBC observed as Greater Manchester Police carried out Operation Makesafe, an initiative designed to safeguard young people through increased engagement and education with the hospitality industry. During the evening, officers used a plain clothes officer posing as a suspect and a volunteer acting as an underage victim to attempt hotel bookings, testing whether employees would recognize signs of child sexual exploitation.
Results showed the majority of hotels demonstrated strong awareness of exploitation indicators. Staff members challenged the test purchasers, refused to provide rooms, and contacted police to report their suspicions. However, one hotel failed to question the pair or alert authorities, prompting a full debrief and plans for additional training to help employees identify exploitation signs and understand the consequences of allowing suspicious bookings.
Chief Superintendent David Meeney, District Commander for Manchester, emphasized the critical role of local businesses in protecting vulnerable youth. “It is vital that we raise awareness amongst key local businesses as well as members of the public so they can learn what to look out for, spot the signs, and ultimately help safeguard young people,” Meeney stated. “Sometimes there may be a perfectly innocent explanation for a situation, but if we can protect even one vulnerable young person from harm, this initiative will have been worthwhile.”
Source: Read original article