Good afternoon Resident

I hope you have had a lovely weekend! Let’s hope that spring really has sprung and we can all enjoy some pleasant weather. For this week’s newsletter, I wanted to draw your attention to Modern Slavery: what it means; how to spot signs of coercion; and how Hertfordshire Constabulary are tackling reports of Modern Slavery. 

Modern slavery is a serious crime. Victims are:

Anyone can be a target for modern slavery. But some people can be at more risk because of money, social or health issues, or because of their age or immigration status.

Threats and punishments can often be violent, but not always. They can include threatening to tell the authorities about the victim's immigration status in order to get them deported from the country.

Modern slavery includes human trafficking. This is when victims are taken between countries or around a country so they can be exploited.

Examples of Modern Slavery in the UK include, but are not limited to: forced labour, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, and organ trafficking. For more information on how these Modern Slavery circumstances can be identified, please visit:  https://www.herts.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/ms/modern-slavery/ . 

To find out more on how to spot signs of Modern Slavery, please visit: https://www.unseenuk.org/about-modern-slavery/spot-the-signs/ 

And finally, I have a Good News story which was shared to the Herts Police website on 11th February 2025 detailing a Modern Slavery operation which was conducted in St Albans & Potters Bar to target an individual suspected of conspiracy to control prostitution by managing brothels in the area. Find out more here: https://www.herts.police.uk/news/hertfordshire/news/2025/february-2025/modern-slavery-operation-leads-to-an-arrest/ 

Thank you for reading. If you have concerns about Modern Slavery or Human Trafficking which you would like to report, please contact the National Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121700. If you have any local information which you would like to relay to your Neighbourhood Policing Team, please reply to this message. 

Kind regards,

Fiona