BESPOKE EXPLOITATION AND VULNERABILITY TRAINING OFFERED TO HAULAGE COMPANIES

West Mercia Police have offered dedicated exploitation and vulnerability training, to raise awareness and ensure that companies do not inadvertently have their haulage equipment be used for crime.

The training opportunity has been given to two haulage companies based in Telford as part of West Mercia Police’s We Don’t Buy Crime initiative.

The training has been provided to 20,000 frontline people previously, including drive-through restaurant staff, refuse collectors and nurses. The scheme recently has expanded to haulage companies.

As drivers are commonly on the road and in the community, they would be well placed to spot criminal activity and the signs of exploitation and abuse, but are also well placed in the community to spot and report this.

Hauliers would have the knowledge of the road network and use it day in and day out, so they not only would be able to spot suspicious activity but also park at service stations and lorry parks and identify vulnerabilities and potential criminal exploitation.

We Don’t Buy Crime is a holistic approach to community crime prevention, helping individuals, businesses that may not realise they are being used as part of a criminal scheme and the community at large stop organised crime, and help with the harm that is associated with it.

It is important to keep yourself safe and help others to do the same. Spotting and reporting a crime or suspicious activity when you see it can help the police handle it quickly and protect yourself and others on the road.