Sentinel and public protection
On October 7 I was invited to a conference, as part of my Prince's Trust work, hosted by Sentinel the public protection department of West Midlands Police.
Sentinel is dedicated to protecting the vulnerable in society from hidden crimes such as honour based violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic abuse, child abuse, child sexual exploitation, and modern day slavery. Sentinel also covers prostitution, rape, and serious sexual offences.
It was a privilege to hear the dedication of these officers (and civilian partners) who are committed to making a difference. We spoke about my Socks and Chocs initiative as homeless people are vulnerable to some, if not all, of these issues.
The big thing that came out of the meeting was that the police can't do it all on their own. They need your help. When you see a person cleaning car windscreens at traffic lights, do you even consider they might be forced into such work?
If you hear domestic violence or suspect child sexual exploitation where do you report it?
Lots of discussions were held about how this could be more joined up and it was very encouraging.
I am excited to be able to help Sentinel in some small way.
Here is the link to the See Me, Hear Me Campaign.
You can also follow them on Twitter @wmpsentinel.
"Lots of people doing a little is better than a few doing a lot!"
