A report published today by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has found that police forces are failing to identify crimes of modern day slavery and provide victims with adequate protection. In summary the report says that the standard of investigations and the level of care provided to victims is “highly inconsistent” and in some forces “unacceptable”.

The report found that frontline officers have “only a patchy, inconsistent understanding of signs and indicators of this type of offending” with many believing these crimes not to be an issue in their area.

Inspectors also found that many officers did not understand their duties in relation to helping victims access support through the Government’s official channel (the ‘National Referral Mechanism’) and concluded that “we cannot be confident that all potential victims whom the police encounter are being informed about the support and entitlements available to them.”

Other concerns highlighted by the report are a tendency to close investigations early which may protect an individual victim but leaves perpetrators free to continue exploiting others.

The report also found that officers had limited understanding of the statutory defence introduced by the Modern Slavery Act which protects victims from being punished for crimes they are forced to commit by their traffickers. This can result in victims being viewed solely as suspected criminals rather than being treated as possible victims.

Whilst the Inspectors found good practice in safeguarding victims and tackling criminals in some forces, as a whole the report’s findings are extremely disappointing.

The police have a crucial role to play not only in bringing traffickers to justice but also in connecting victims to support services since they are often the first to encounter victims.

It is particularly concerning to read the report’s conclusions that low awareness and poor attitudes to trafficking and modern day slavery among police officers may be limiting opportunities to gather intelligence about the crime. This will ultimately lead to victims being stuck in exploitation.

We welcome the HMICFRS report and urge police forces to take seriously its recommendations, particularly in respect of how they respond to people who may be victims.