Police will 'identify and pursue' those targeting our Island's most vulnerable

Constabulary approach to safeguarding has changed in recent years

The Isle of Man Constabulary will identify and pursue those who seek to target the most vulnerable in our society.

That's the message from the Island's Detective Inspector for Protecting Vulnerable People this Safeguarding Week.

This year's theme is All Age Exploitation - aiming to highlight the harms young people and vulnerable adults face.

Here at Manx Radio, we're publishing a series of reports throughout the week focussing on the work that goes on behind the scenes by various agencies.

Yesterday, we heard from the Independent Chair of the Island's Safeguarding Board, Lesley Walker.

You can read more here.

Today, we're hearing from the police.

Detective Inspector Sam Cannell told Manx Radio the police work with its partners to act on any intelligence it receives that could leave people at risk.

He says their approach to safeguarding has changed a lot in recent years, as Siobhán Fletcher reports:

Mr Cannell told Manx Radio until around 2019/20, the police weren't using the word exploitation, and therefore were not recognising it for what it can be here on the Island.

TURNING POINT

However, the turning point came during the Covid-19 pandemic, when borders were tighter, and there was increased control over the post coming into the Island's ports. 

He says: "That really helped to expose the issue of our younger community being approached by those that would seek to exploit them with the purpose of importing controlled drugs via the post and using them either to accept or to deliver packages.

"Certainly, that demographic allowed us to recognise to the greatest extent what the problem was on the Island.

"From there, in collaboration with getting the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub up and running and working more closely with our partners in social care, in health and with education, that's really helped us to come together to form a structure for how we can actually tackle exploitation"

Children becoming embroiled in the illegal drug trade via exploitation is usually referred to as 'county lines'.

This is generally defined as gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of 'deal line'.

They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.

Here on the Island, the teams at Manx Care are circulating a 'seven-minute briefing' guide on how to spot the signs of this type of exploitation:

As aforementioned, young people aren't the only demographic at risk of criminal exploitation - vulnerable adults are a target too.

If staying with the example of drug trafficking - they can be subject to 'cuckooing', which is when someone's home address is taken over for criminal purposes.

The Isle of Man Safeguarding board has shared the below graphic on its social media feeds this week with more information.

EVENTS

Safeguarding Week runs from 11 November through to 15 November 2024 and events are happening all over the Island.

The calendar of events can be found here.

The Isle of Man Constabulary will be present at some of the planned drop-ins and are running community initiatives throughout the week.

In a statement, a police spokesperson said: "[Our] priority is to protect vulnerable people and therefore we support Safeguarding week and the focus it brings to ensuring that as a community and partnership, we take time to both reflect and protect those around us who are in greater need than we are.

"A person is vulnerable if, as a result of their situation or circumstances, they are unable to take care of or protect themselves or others from harm or exploitation.

"Preventing children and vulnerable adults from being exploited is at the heart of the work the Constabulary do daily.

"It’s the reason you see us operating around our ports to prevent drug trafficking and everything that goes with it, right through to early intervention and the reason we deliver and input on exploitation to children at schools.

"This year during Safeguarding week we have a series of activities planned to help strengthen our community response to exploitation and as ever we will continue to support the public, together with our partners, in a cohesive way, to tackle this abhorrent and devastating crime and to protect and preserve the quality of life and freedom that safety brings to the island and our communities."

Manx Radio will be finding out more about safeguarding and all-age exploitation throughout this week, as we speak to professionals from the various services involved in the protection of our most vulnerable on the Island.

If you think you or someone you know is being exploited or is at risk of being exploited, contact the Isle of Man Constabulary on 01624 631212 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

There are also further contact options at the bottom of this graphic from Manx Care:

You can hear more from Sam in our latest newscast, available below or wherever you get your podcasts.