FOI 386066

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 386066

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 27^th January 2025.  Please find below the response to your request:

Please could you provide me with the following information:

1, Number of officers currently serving within your force 2, Number of officers assigned or posted to teams which primarily (or exclusively) deal with child criminal exploitation (such as county lines).

3, Number of officers assigned or posted to teams which primarily (or exclusively) deal with child sexual exploitation.

4, Number of officers assigned or posted to teams which primarily (or exclusively) deal with sex trafficking (forced prostitution).

You may wish to add a footnote as to how your force deals with these issues of Modern Slavery in terms of staffing and resourcing. I am aware that certain forces have designated county lines teams however other forces may encompass a wider drugs squad which would include county lines activity.

Reply

West Mercia Police hold some of the information requested.

1, Number of officers currently serving within your force

2, Number of officers assigned or posted to teams which primarily (or exclusively) deal with child criminal exploitation (such as county lines).

and

3, Number of officers assigned or posted to teams which primarily (or exclusively) deal with child sexual exploitation.

West Mercia have both online Child Sexual Exploitation Teams and Child Exploitation Teams who as part of their role will take responsibility for the investigation of both Child Criminal Exploitation and Child Sexual Exploitation. Across the force there are a total of 47.5 FTE officers and police staff within these teams. However, each Local Policing Area also has a Proactive CID Team who will investigate the wider County Lines Investigations.

4, Number of officers assigned or posted to teams which primarily (or exclusively) deal with sex trafficking (forced prostitution).

No specific recorded information held. West Mercia police do not have a specific team that solely deal with sex trafficking offences. Sex trafficking would be investigated by reactive CID Teams, but they would also deal with a number of other crime categories.