Police Scotland and TARA host international human trafficking conference
Police Scotland and the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance, TARA, hosted a conference in Glasgow today for key national and international partners including the NCA, Justice and Care, US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Romanian Police.
Assistant Chief Constable Bex Smith, lead for Major Crime, Public Protection and Local Crime, Police Scotland, speaking in support of the conference and international co-operation, said:
"Human trafficking is happening now in Scotland. It not only affects people in our local communities but in countries and communities across the world.
"Trafficking gangs don’t care about borders. So, our response to ending modern day slavery has to be a global effort.
"Today's conference was about sharing knowledge, learning and experience of the emerging threats: threats that include children being trafficked across international borders and people being forced to commit crime for trafficking gangs.
"We heard about the work of Victim Navigators, who work for key partners Justice and Care, in Scotland, across the UK and overseas.
"Their work is crucial in supporting and building trust and confidence between victims of trafficking and law enforcement agencies. These relationships give us the vital information we need to tackle trafficking gangs across the globe.
"Victims of trafficking don’t always realise that they are victims. They seldom contact the police directly.
"Quite often they come to our attention either via a support agency or when someone from a local community makes a phone call and raises a concern.
"That call can be the first step in freeing someone from slavery and exploitation. It can ensure a victim of trafficking gets help and that we bring those responsible for this vile trade to justice: either in Scotland or overseas.
"We will continue working together to tackle trafficking but we also rely on people in local communities to be aware.
"If you have a concern the Unseen App can help you spot the signs of trafficking. Or you can contact us directly on 101 or 999 in an emergency."
