Over 100 Turn Out for Operation Makesafe Event at Westfield
The Met’s Specialist Crime Command joined forces with Stratford’s Safer Neighbourhoods Team and the Safer Business Network for a major event on 15 March. Held at Vue Cinema in Westfield Shopping Centre, the gathering attracted more than 100 attendees determined to fight child exploitation.
Operation Makesafe: The Frontline Against Child Exploitation
Operation Makesafe is a nationwide campaign focused on raising awareness about child exploitation in communities. It arms local businesses and organisations with training to spot and stop abuse before it happens.
The urgency of this mission was underlined earlier this month when Met officers arrested over 200 people and seized £1 million in a week-long county lines crackdown. Officials also safeguarded 177 vulnerable individuals.
Businesses on the Frontline
The Met works closely with a wide range of businesses vulnerable to exploitation concerns, including:
- Hotels and licensed premises
- Taxis and private hire companies
- Care homes and shopping centres
- Transport hubs and Wi-Fi hotspots
- Fast food outlets
The campaign trains staff to identify warning signs and report concerns to police before young people suffer harm.
Met Detective Urges Business Community to Step Up
Detective Constable Jules Benrad, Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation team, said:
“The Met is committed to tackling this issue but we also need our local business community to take responsibility for safeguarding young people from all forms of exploitation. By highlighting these warning signs and providing employers with a step-by-step referral process to the police, we hope that all businesses will play their part in making Operation Makesafe a success.”
“We will continue to hold events like today, working alongside neighbouring boroughs, local authorities, and local businesses to help keep our children safe.”
Since relaunching Operation Makesafe in March 2022, the Met has trained all call handlers and exploitation teams. Over 3,000 external businesses and partners have also been equipped to spot the signs.
Safer Business Network Praises Partnership Effort
Mohammed Qazi from Safer Business Network added:
“It was a very successful day and I want to thank everyone for making it happen. Business leaders are encouraged to take a proactive role and implement measures to safeguard their premises from being used for child exploitation.”
“Partnership working allows us to tackle issues like child exploitation and modern slavery head-on. Through training and awareness, we can help Stratford and London spot, tackle, and report early signs before they escalate.”
How Children Are Trapped in Exploitation
Children are often lured by offenders with offers of alcohol, money, gifts, drugs, mobile phones, or false promises of love and attention. Once hooked, they face horrific emotional and physical abuse under modern slavery.
Many victims do not realise they are abused, making reporting rare and the problem grossly underreported.
For more on Operation Makesafe and combating county lines, visit The Met Police Operation Makesafe page and County Lines | Metropolitan Police.
