SAAFE forum

General Category => Questions and Answers => Topic started by: amy on 16 August 2010, 08:35:20 pm

Title: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 16 August 2010, 08:35:20 pm: Right, I'm not even sure which section this ought to be in, but the idea is that as many of us see it as possible, so here will do for now (maybe it can do a spot of touring ;)).

As a few of you already know, I am very proud to be on an advisory group with the UK Network of Sex Work Projects (http://www.uknswp.org/) which is developing a model for a new, anonymous, Ugly Mugs and dodgy punters national reporting scheme for all sex workers. The scheme is backed by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (both of whom are represented on the advisory group) and various other organisations are expressing encouragement and support. I must emphasise that the people and groups involved are credible, legitimate and above all accountable - there is no question of misuse of the information or people's personal details ending up floating around on the internet; the website and database will be secure and the information contained encrypted, so even in the event of hacking, nothing will be available for misuse.

I am posting on SAAFE at this stage to try and obtain some feedback from everybody on how the proposed bits for indoor workers will be applied - the form for outdoor workers has a few different questions and is really designed to be filled in by a third party so that outreach workers and project staff can report on the behalf of people whose personal circumstances make it difficult for them to do themselves. Anyone who has access to or uses a local project would be welcome to use this too, but since the situation of many independent indoor workers is different and we are often more isolated, the plan is to provide an online form and possibly a telephone number so that we can report into the scheme directly. If any of you would be happy to comment on draft forms when we have them ready let me know, we want lots of comments from sex workers to make sure we get something suitable. So:

Would you be interested in receiving alerts when crimes were reported? To ensure that UKNSWP offers a secure system which is in line with Data Protection law and information sharing regulations, any scheme may have to have some system which requires sex workers to sign up as members. This would also enable us to have some means of contact for you if there were other police investigations relating to the person who committed the offence. UKNSWP would only be able to share with members 'sanitised' alerts, that is, alerts/warnings which are summaries with information to help you identify offenders but with some information (eg. full names, addresses, car registration numbers) removed for reasons of human rights and Data Protection law - this will avoid putting any future court cases at risk. Would you be comfortable registering your work name and mobile number and/or email address?

As well as alerting sex workers to dangerous people, a key aim of a UK wide scheme would be to have better information about crimes committed against us and to identify offenders. UKNSWP would hope to share anonymised reports made into the scheme with national police analysts. Would you give consent for your anonymous report to be passed onto a national police contact? (By anonymous we mean that none of your details will be passed on to the police).

The eventual outcome will hopefully be that we have a national database containing details of those who target us, so that information can be shared and any patterns emerging can hopefully be spotted early. So, what does everybody think? The next meeting of the group is in mid October, and we really want some feedback from members here - any questions, just ask and if I can't answer I will be sure to check with someone who can. Please as well as responding to these questions do post any other comments you have on this initiative. What do we think?
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Lucy Chambers on 16 August 2010, 10:00:10 pm: Hi Amy

I would be happy to register a work telephone number and work name, also email. I have to do this now in Ireland to be able to report an ugly mug, so it would sit equally with me. The only issue I could envisage, for me, would be if my attacker was caught and my evidence was then needed to secure a conviction.

I would be happy to go to the UKNSWP /police about any issue and supply information, but I would want to know exactly what I would have to do if the attacker was apprehended.

A) Would I have to attend court or could my written statement be used in evidence?
B)If I did have to attend court then would my identity still be protected and would I be assigned a trained liasion officer?

Congratulations, its a really exciting development.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 17 August 2010, 07:55:12 pm: As far as I know, in the event that court proceedings were brought and you wanted to testify you would probably have to attend court, although there are special procedures to protect vulnerable witnesses and there have been recent cases of successful convictions where sex workers have given evidence from behind a screen, or recorded it and had it played to the court (more information from the CPS here (http://www.cps.gov.uk/victims_witnesses/going_to_court/vulnerable.html)). You would have to give your legal name to the police to be a court witness, but it would not be reported or made available to anybody else.

Even if you decided not to take the risk of testifying, one of the purposes of the scheme apart from alerting others is to help police trace and catch offenders, so even if all you did was report an incident and its details it would still be very valuable. The people taking the reports by phone will be specially trained, and one eventual aim which has been discussed is encouraging more police forces to designate crimes against us as Hate crimes; that is to say, that they are motivated by the fact that we are sex workers (just as other people may be targetted purely because of their sexual orientation or ethinicity) as Merseyside Police did five years ago, and their conviction rate for rapes against us now stands at 67% - the national average for rape in the general population is 6%. 90% of cases for violence against sex workers that went to court there during 2005 to end March 2009 resulted in convictions, and if similar results could be achieved around the country that would be incredible progress.

I can ask about specific court procedures at the meeting, and am intending to forward a link to the thread around for the other members of the group to follow it, so as far as the nuts and bolts, someone will already know and I will fill the details in then :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Cherrylips on 17 August 2010, 08:07:07 pm: Amy

It sounds like a fantastic idea.

I would have to think about whether I would give my details because I am so so careful, ok completely paranoid, about where my details could end up due to my future job that i'm studying for. I do understand when you say everything would be encrypted though and its something I would definetely have a good think about.

Lucy's point is very interesting and I will look forward to hearing the outcome from the meeting.

I think its amazing that you're involved in this by the way. Its a very exciting prospect and I'll certainly be taking an avid interest to see how it all goes. ;)
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Dani on 17 August 2010, 08:26:46 pm: I would definately be more than happy to register with my name and any other details needed.
I would also not have any qualms about testifying in court (already been there, done that) if need be as it would let these people know that we are not willing to be easy targets anymore.
I guess it is a little different for me because my identity is not kept secret and everyone whos opinion I care about know what job I do already.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 17 August 2010, 08:29:19 pm: Well I ought to emphasise that anybody will be able to phone in or fill in a form and report - the registration would just be for people who wanted to receive alerts or were prepared to be contacted via the scheme, and most of us advertise our work numbers with our names anyway (which is all that would be asked for apart from maybe an email address).

The main aim is still the building of a database of happenings so that similar incidents can be linked if appropriate, and mobile offenders can be tracked. For example, if someone was travelling about booking ladies on tour and robbing them (as happened a few years ago), and always used the same words, had a distinctive tattoo or wore a particular jacket even, he could potentially be identified even if ladies hundreds of miles apart reported because all of the information would be kept together and the pattern could easily be spotted. At the moment, apart from in the case of extremely serious violent attacks, this information is not shared between sex work projects and different police forces around the country in any meaningful or organised way, and that's the idea behind this :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Alexa Shelley on 18 August 2010, 02:11:13 pm: Hi Amy, I think that the scheme is a superb idea and would be willing to share my details in order to receive alerts/provide warnings to other sexworkers. I can understand the pp's apprehension in terms of appearing in court SHOULD the situation arise, as I too try to remain anonymous for personal reasons. Hopefully such a scheme may deter perpetrators from targeting sexworkers, particularly independents because like it or not we are all at times pretty vulnerable due to a lack of a safety net which I feel your scheme would provide.

I however believe that if a criminal offence is perpetrated against us then we have as much right to justice as any one else irrelevant of our chosen career... I believe that the scheme may go some way to help overcome discrimination against sex workers and is a fantastic opportunity to build an ethos of looking after our colleagues - building upon the fab work already done at saafe.

Amy you deserve a medal for all your good (and hard) work :-) I for one would like to support the new scheme in any way possible.

Axxx
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Carla on 25 August 2010, 02:33:20 pm: Excellent stuffs! Would be happy to supply a work name, number and email address. Would also be happy to give feedback about the draft report forms when they take shape. xx
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: LauraLee on 11 September 2010, 06:26:33 pm: I'm happy to provide information required for registration and also assist in any way possible.

I think it's a fantastic idea. :)
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Lushious Louisa on 21 September 2010, 02:43:51 pm: Yes me too girls fab work ;)
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: cassie on 11 October 2010, 01:24:17 am: Definately be happy to register and give feed back on forms.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: strawberry on 11 October 2010, 11:03:20 am: I would register as long as we could be assured our details would not be used by ANY third party - including the police. They aren't the brightest in the pack even when supposedly acting on our behalf. Yes they included me in a 'survey' where a 3rd party rang and recalled all the details of a crime against my property, asked me to answer customer satisfaction questions without realising a SECOND crime arose out of the first, out of the fact the police didn't act upon a threat.

What I'm trying to say is that stuff can be really misused in unobvious ways.

Would there be a way to weed out those who would maliciously report guys?I know this sounds odd but I've experienced this myself(where other ladies have been warned off seeing guys, who are absolutely innocently fine).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 11 October 2010, 04:36:34 pm: Quote from: strawberry on 11 October 2010, 11:03:20 am
I would register as long as we could be assured our details would not be used by ANY third party - including the police. They aren't the brightest in the pack even when supposedly acting on our behalf. Yes they included me in a 'survey' where a 3rd party rang and recalled all the details of a crime against my property, asked me to answer customer satisfaction questions without realising a SECOND crime arose out of the first, out of the fact the police didn't act upon a threat.

What I'm trying to say is that stuff can be really misused in unobvious ways.

Would there be a way to weed out those who would maliciously report guys?I know this sounds odd but I've experienced this myself(where other ladies have been warned off seeing guys, who are absolutely innocently fine).

Well the only details needed to use the scheme are a working name and mobile number or email address - information that can easily be found online for most of us (we even made provison in the form for people who may have been working at home when the incident took place, and understandably don't want to give their address). The scheme is being put together by specialist units plus the UKNSWP and the Home Office rather than the town plod (which I have dealt with myself here too) but no-one is obliged to register anything at the end of the day, and of course anyone who has been the victim of a crime is still perfectly free to go and report it at their local station if they'd rather. The information contained in the database would, as already mentioned, be heavily encrypted and would be extremely difficult to access for anyone attempting to hack even if they managed to get into the server.

I don't think mentioning the possibility of misuse and malicious reports sounds odd in the slightest - it was one of the first things I brought up at an early meeting and of course it would be impossibe to say that this would never happen. However there is a hell of a difference between making a false crime report to the police and maliciously putting someone's details on a Warnings board say (to try and prevent other ladies from taking a booking from them - I've had that one too) - the former is an offence in itself, apart from anything else. There is no way you would be able to wipe it out altogether, but the form is quite detailed and I doubt anyone who just wanted to make a pain in the arse of themselves could be bothered to fill it all out. The general feeling was that the benefits of the scheme once up and running would far outweigh the odd idiot/hoaxer, in much the same way as having a 999 emergency number does.

The next meeting of the Advisory Group has been moved to mid-November to give us chance to hopefully get some feedback on the reporting form and also as more organisations are finding out and offering support. As soon as the final draft of the form is sorted, I'll PM the ladies interested in having a look - all feedback is very welcome! :)
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: xxFallen Angelxx on 11 November 2010, 03:49:41 am: I would be happy to give my details to such a scheme as well as going to court to testify against an offender. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't report an incident and then heard that something had happened to another girl.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Tsescortvikki on 12 November 2010, 05:18:53 pm: I think its an excellent idea, I'd be happy to be a part of the scheme!
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Cat on 19 November 2010, 07:12:51 am: Im in more than happy about this one.

Cat x
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 07 December 2010, 02:10:00 pm: Well we've had our final-ish meeting and I'm pleased to say that the model for the anonymous reporting scheme is now well on it's way to being finished and ready to be submitted to the Home Office at the end of the month.

I have an email from Rosie Campbell at UKNSWP with the proposed model for the scheme and reporting form attached to forward to anybody who would like to look over it and give feedback. I can't post it on here or PM it to people, but anybody who would like to look can PM me and I will send it on to whichever email address you prefer.

We really need feedback as soon as possible, and this can be sent either to me or better still, directly to Rosie at the UK NSWP, whose address is included. Thanks to everybody who has responded to the thread so far and anyone with questions can continue to do so, but if you would like to feedback on the form etc, please PM with an email address for me to send it to :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: josephine 1234 on 05 January 2011, 09:35:19 am: Great idea. Imin and happy to provide reg info , give feedback and be part of this much needed scheme. ;)
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: melbourne on 09 January 2011, 11:24:00 am: Seems like a great idea. Should be an international initiative..one day with the resources
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 19 December 2011, 04:57:37 pm: Well it's been a slow process, but the Home Office have finally decided to fund a pilot scheme for a year - it's not the three years we were hoping for, but considering the cuts in public spending it's pretty amazing that we got anything at all, and it has been agreed that some of the funding will be set aside for fundraising to sustain the pilot beyond one year. Press release from the UKNSWP last Saturday follows:

"INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST SEX WORKERS & UK WIDE UGLY MUGS SCHEME

December 17th is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, created to draw attention to crimes committed against sex workers all over the world. It has become a day when sex workers and allies in towns and cities from around the world come together and organize against discrimination and remember victims of violence (Note 1). This year is particularly pertinent in the UK five years on from the tragic murders of five women in Ipswich.

During this week UK Network of Sex Work Projects is pleased to announce that they will be coordinating a pilot of a UK wide Ugly Mugs scheme funded by the Home Office, which will be launched in spring 2012. UKNSWP carried out a feasibility study for such a scheme during 2010-2011 funded by the home office. Local Ugly Mugs schemes are third party reporting schemes which encourage sex workers to report crimes against them and aid in the investigation and prosecution of offenders who are a danger to sex workers and the wider community of which sex workers are a part. Ugly Mugs was originally developed by sex workers themselves to alert each other to dangerous individuals. Many sex workers are still reluctant to report crimes against them to the police for a number of reasons for example: fear of arrest, fear of not being taken seriously or treated with respect and fear of being publicly identified. The stigma attached to sex work and criminalisation of sex work create barriers to reporting, as the police are responsible for both protecting sex workers and enforcing the laws on sex work. In this unsatisfactory situation it is important to have practical ways sex workers can access public protection and justice.

The Home Office decision to fund a UK wide pilot is the outcome of the efforts of many people including: sex work projects, sex workers? organisations and the police. This scheme has the full support of the National Association of Police Officers Lead on Prostitution & Sexual Exploitation.

This scheme will link existing local schemes run by sex work projects and sex worker online forums so all reports about crimes against sex workers can be centrally collated. It will also provide a means for sex workers themselves to report crimes committed against them and to receive warnings about perpetrators. UKNSWP has local member projects who have seen ugly mugs initiatives play a major role in investigating crimes and bringing offenders to justice. UKNSWP believes a UK wide scheme can play a role in preventing, murder, rape and other crimes committed against sex workers through; increased reporting better intelligence, earlier identification, detection and increased prosecution of repeat, mobile and dangerous offenders.

Rosie Campbell, UKNSWP Board Member/ACPO Liaison commented

?The safety of sex workers is a priority for UKNSWP and our member projects. This is a very important step in recognising sex workers? rights to public protection from the police and criminal justice system. It is a practical initiative to encourage reporting by sex workers of crimes against them and to help in the detection and conviction of offenders who target sex workers and other members of the community. UKNSWP is proud to have the opportunity to coordinate this pilot scheme & we look forward to working with others to develop the scheme?.

SAAFE (Support and Advice For Escorts) commented

?Sex workers have always collaborated to protect ourselves and SAAFE Forum is glad to have worked with UKNSWP in the development of UK wide ugly mugs. We very much welcome government support of this vital work?

The scheme will hopefully go live in early summer - will keep everybody posted! :D
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: S.E on 20 December 2011, 07:24:30 pm: Hi Ami I just read this thread now, is it still possible to register, i am happy to provide my details as i think this sounds really great. I would like to know about ANY CRIME against ANY sex worker in my area (i live in Nottinghamshire) so if its possible to sign up for this could u please let me know, and how do i register. Thanks

Sorry never mind saw the link, must have been blind to miss it.

Quote from: amy on 16 August 2010, 08:35:20 pm
Right, I'm not even sure which section this ought to be in, but the idea is that as many of us see it as possible, so here will do for now (maybe it can do a spot of touring ;)).

As a few of you already know, I am very proud to be on an advisory group with the UK Network of Sex Work Projects (http://www.uknswp.org/) which is developing a model for a new, anonymous, Ugly Mugs and dodgy punters national reporting scheme for all sex workers. The scheme is backed by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (both of whom are represented on the advisory group) and various other organisations are expressing encouragement and support. I must emphasise that the people and groups involved are credible, legitimate and above all accountable - there is no question of misuse of the information or people's personal details ending up floating around on the internet; the website and database will be secure and the information contained encrypted, so even in the event of hacking, nothing will be available for misuse.

I am posting on SAAFE at this stage to try and obtain some feedback from everybody on how the proposed bits for indoor workers will be applied - the form for outdoor workers has a few different questions and is really designed to be filled in by a third party so that outreach workers and project staff can report on the behalf of people whose personal circumstances make it difficult for them to do themselves. Anyone who has access to or uses a local project would be welcome to use this too, but since the situation of many independent indoor workers is different and we are often more isolated, the plan is to provide an online form and possibly a telephone number so that we can report into the scheme directly. If any of you would be happy to comment on draft forms when we have them ready let me know, we want lots of comments from sex workers to make sure we get something suitable. So:

Would you be interested in receiving alerts when crimes were reported? To ensure that UKNSWP offers a secure system which is in line with Data Protection law and information sharing regulations, any scheme may have to have some system which requires sex workers to sign up as members. This would also enable us to have some means of contact for you if there were other police investigations relating to the person who committed the offence. UKNSWP would only be able to share with members 'sanitised' alerts, that is, alerts/warnings which are summaries with information to help you identify offenders but with some information (eg. full names, addresses, car registration numbers) removed for reasons of human rights and Data Protection law - this will avoid putting any future court cases at risk. Would you be comfortable registering your work name and mobile number and/or email address?

As well as alerting sex workers to dangerous people, a key aim of a UK wide scheme would be to have better information about crimes committed against us and to identify offenders. UKNSWP would hope to share anonymised reports made into the scheme with national police analysts. Would you give consent for your anonymous report to be passed onto a national police contact? (By anonymous we mean that none of your details will be passed on to the police).

The eventual outcome will hopefully be that we have a national database containing details of those who target us, so that information can be shared and any patterns emerging can hopefully be spotted early. So, what does everybody think? The next meeting of the group is in mid October, and we really want some feedback from members here - any questions, just ask and if I can't answer I will be sure to check with someone who can. Please as well as responding to these questions do post any other comments you have on this initiative. What do we think?
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 21 December 2011, 04:21:14 pm: Quote from: S.J on 20 December 2011, 07:24:30 pm
Hi Ami I just read this thread now, is it still possible to register, i am happy to provide my details as i think this sounds really great. I would like to know about ANY CRIME against ANY sex worker in my area (i live in Nottinghamshire) so if its possible to sign up for this could u please let me know, and how do i register. Thanks

Sorry never mind saw the link, must have been blind to miss it.

Don't worry - if you read the whole thread including my update from yesterday (and I only just re-stickied it then) you will see that the scheme hasn't actually started yet! We worked for a year through 2010 developing a model to show the Home Office, presented it to ask for funding, and a year on they have finally agreed to allocate some money to give it a chance to prove itself.

The UKNSWP will be getting everything on track in the early part of next year - obviously it needs trained staff and all the IT stuff has to be done, but it's expected to launch late spring or early summer and everybody will be able to have a good look at how it's going to work then. In the meantime I'll keep posting whatever info I can, but you haven't missed a thing apart from a long wait :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Edie on 25 January 2012, 06:30:03 pm: This is brilliant! Well done Amy and everyone at UKNSWP.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Sahrbear on 08 March 2012, 10:09:34 am: I would love to be involved. Sounds awesome!
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Lushious Louisa on 11 April 2012, 06:58:42 pm: I'm retired and expecting a baby on June the 9th Amy but as I'm on maternity leave from the "normal job" would be happy to help in any way I can ;)
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 11 April 2012, 10:33:33 pm: Quote from: Lushious Louisa on 11 April 2012, 06:58:42 pm
I'm retired and expecting a baby on June the 9th Amy but as I'm on maternity leave from the "normal job" would be happy to help in any way I can ;)

Congratulations Louisa! :D

By way of an update, things are well underway for a summer launch and a coordinator has now been appointed - I'm bobbling over to That Manchester to meet him on the 23rd and will be able to post a proper progress report from there.

The best thing everybody can do to help is spread the word once things are up and running - the more ladies who know that they can now report offenders safely and anonymously as well as sign up with nothing more than their work mobile number for text alerts in their area (and countrywide for very serious incidents) if they want to, the more chance there is of the scheme receiving proper funding to keep it running. It has one year to prove itself, so it needs to be used - we (and other forums) do our best here, but we're very limited; UK Ugly Mugs will basically be an anonymous hotline straight to the Police and ultimately the Home Office, as well as a way of ensuring this information is shared and distributed all over the land to those who could be affected by it in a way that has never been done before.

More as soon as I know it myself :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: bbwbabevictoria on 12 April 2012, 03:04:53 am: ;) This is a bloody brilliant idea i would have no problem giving my personal details either
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: kizzie on 14 April 2012, 09:53:15 pm: Sign me up. Great initiative.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: MaxSophia666 on 15 April 2012, 12:33:26 pm: We would def. be part of this scheme and would be willing to place a page on our website to list the details and phone numbers of these tosser's !

Max & Sophia:- [removed]

x
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 15 April 2012, 01:42:08 pm: Quote from: MaxSophia666 on 15 April 2012, 12:33:26 pm
We would def. be part of this scheme and would be willing to place a page on our website to list the details and phone numbers of these tosser's !

Max & Sophia:- [removed]

x

I'm not sure whether you've actually read the whole thread or quite understand the scheme's function and purpose, but you will not be given 'lists' of numbers - as the people who have used the Ugly Mugs scheme on sites like EI will know, reports visible to us contain censored details (just as they do here) and the only people with access to the full information will be the Home Office and the police team responsible for it.

You can post whatever you want on your website, but be aware that any information which could potentially identify an offender (full name, address, email, mobile number and so on) is in breach of the Data Protection Act and could provide a loophole which would result in them walking free from court in the event that proceedings were brought against them.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Nora batty on 14 June 2012, 08:38:46 pm: i would also like to sign up for this. i am a touring escort mostly in ireland at the moment but am spreading my wings further afield and have found EI ugly mugs a major help.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 05 July 2012, 08:46:49 pm: Well finally, and after a lot of hard work by a lot of people our Nationwide Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme launches tomorrow!

I'll post more after the event if there's anything to add, but we've had a positive article in the Guardian today here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/05/sex-workers-police-rapist-database?newsfeed=true) and the official launch is tomorrow in Manchester - shortly after this there will be a link on the UK Network of Sex Work Projects site here (http://www.uknswp.org) to the new Nationwide Ugly Mugs website which is free to join, and can be used for anonymous reporting by any sex worker irrespective of gender, immigration or tax status, way of working or anything else.

If anybody wants more information in the meantime, you can also contact uglymugs@uknswp.org.uk. Please support the scheme - if we make a difference in a year, we get to keep it :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: strawberry on 05 July 2012, 08:55:16 pm: Congratulations ;D
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 07 July 2012, 12:38:47 pm: Quote from: strawberry on 05 July 2012, 08:55:16 pm
Congratulations ;D

Thank you! :D

I'll write a proper Sticky for the Warnings section when I've got a bit more time, but the launch yesterday was great and it was actually a bit strange to sit in (and speak to, Gawd love 'em - they were very kind ;D) a room full of people who ALL want to stop people from targeting, attacking and hurting us and are all setting time aside and working really hard to really do something about it.

We had other speakers from Manchester City Council, the Greater London Assembly, senior police people including the head of SCAS and the Missing Persons Bureau (the Serious Crimes Analysis Section who will be analysing the information which gets reported and can then start piecing it together to spot patterns of incidents and so on, even with people who move around the country) as well as academics, Lorraine, Rosie and Shelly from UKNSWP (who some here will have been in touch with before) and Baroness Stern, who has been on our side for years although I didn't get chance to speak to her.

The scheme is now live at http://www.uknswp.org/ugly-mugs/ and anybody can join - if anybody has a warning they want to report (even ones that are already on here, and do keep posting them here too), please do sign up and support the scheme - the more of us do, the more alerts we'll get and the easier it will be to avoid not just the chancers and the scumbags (see Croydon warning (http://www.saafe.info/main/index.php?topic=3147.0), Englishgent (http://www.saafe.info/main/index.php?topic=9165.0), Jerome_669 (http://www.saafe.info/main/index.php?topic=6365.0), Mr Ward (http://www.saafe.info/main/index.php?topic=1615.0) and the rest of the motley assortment) but also the very dangerous. Gary Allen here (http://www.saafe.info/main/index.php?topic=5281.0) is still at large in Grimsby as well as this man (http://www.saafe.info/main/index.php?topic=9483.0) in Sefton, Liverpool who is known to have contacted ladies who use this site.

Christopher Shepherd (http://kensington.londoninformer.co.uk/2011/09/man-jailed-for-rape-and-robber.html) was caught, convicted and jailed partly on information given by people who use this site. Ditto Neil McMillan (http://www.saafe.info/main/index.php?topic=1854), who murdered Andrea Waddell in Brighton, and was later found to have raped another sex worker at an earlier date.

We can all make a difference, for ourselves and each other by supporting National Ugly Mugs, so I hope everybody who needs it will put it to good use :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: EmilyJones on 07 August 2012, 09:59:21 am: It's extremely exciting and I'm loving their website! Incredible example of how the hard work of good people can pay off in such important ways. Since you're here, Amy, I'd like to say thank you to you right now. :D

I've signed up, too. (It's mightily complicated! But I may just be too used to "we want your money, fill out these two fields and press submit thanks" commercial-stuff signups these days.)
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: ladyjennaj on 07 August 2012, 10:07:09 am: This feels like a massive step forwards in the right direction :) x
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 14 August 2012, 08:31:48 pm: Some more encouraging press for NUM in the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alex-bryce/national-ugly-mugs-scheme_b_1774765.html) :D.

I now have banners which I can email to anybody who wants one for their site; just PM me with an email address and I'll send 'em out :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: EmilyJones on 15 August 2012, 10:01:43 am: Quote from: amy on 14 August 2012, 08:31:48 pm
Some more encouraging press for NUM in the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alex-bryce/national-ugly-mugs-scheme_b_1774765.html) :D.

Woohoo!

Quote from: amy on 14 August 2012, 08:31:48 pm
I now have banners which I can email to anybody who wants one for their site; just PM me with an email address and I'll send 'em out :).

Sending PM now. :D
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: orchidperfume on 04 September 2012, 07:44:06 pm: Thanks for highlighting ugly mugs on forum, I have joined xx
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: lucieparks4 on 09 November 2012, 12:51:04 am: Just joined, brill scheme :) xx
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: ana30 on 02 June 2015, 04:23:43 pm: Hi, sorry but I have a question regarding ugly mugs and not sure who to ask this.

I happen to be on their e-mail list, so I get their NUM alerts always on my e-mail. Never reported anything to them (thank god) but I always carefully read them. Now.. the alert gives me a brief description of the man, his crime/offense committed and phone number. The purpose of giving us (sex workers) his phone number is so we can add it on our phones "reject list" or label it in our contacts as dangerous. Problem is that their last 4 digits in the alerts are always hidden. So how am I going to add his phone number to my iphone? Or know he's a bad guy if I'm missing his last 4 digits?

Am I missing something? (most probably yes) ???
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Mirror on 02 June 2015, 04:33:31 pm: It mostly works the other way around, put numbers of potential clients into their database.

I'm currently annoyed by the way it logs you in, then tells you to log in again - you have to click again on the menu, then scroll down. Makes it a right hassle.

Personally I want to make my own judgement based on story and full number, but they say that isn't possible due to privacy/legal reasons.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: ana30 on 02 June 2015, 04:40:06 pm: Quote from: Mirror on 02 June 2015, 04:33:31 pm
It mostly works the other way around, put numbers of potential clients into their database.

I'm currently annoyed by the way it logs you in, then tells you to log in again - you have to click again on the menu, then scroll down. Makes it a right hassle.

Personally I want to make my own judgement based on story and full number, but they say that isn't possible due to privacy/legal reasons.

Hi mirror, so you mean a full number is not available for private/legal reasons? ???
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 02 June 2015, 04:44:40 pm: It works the same way that other Ugly Mugs schemes do, the Ireland one being a fairly well known one. It's not legal to supply people with identifying personal details which would include a phone number (and is also the reason we can't publish them here), so nobody can legally post up pages of phone numbers for random interested parties to leaf through.

What you can do in the event that you think you have the number of somebody dodgy is type it in and see if there's a hit. You still won't be given a full number, just told what the report is that it's linked to - you have to have the number in the first place :).
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: SelenaLondon on 02 June 2015, 04:47:46 pm: At the expense of sounding corny and pathetic this scheme literally makes me emotional.

I get the alerts every day and it is such a wonderful thing that such is availaible to us.

My friend who is an escort in America can't believe we have such a thing here.

Love it so much.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Mirror on 02 June 2015, 05:15:50 pm: Quote from: amy on 02 June 2015, 04:44:40 pm
It works the same way that other Ugly Mugs schemes do, the Ireland one being a fairly well known one. It's not legal to supply people with identifying personal details which would include a phone number (and is also the reason we can't publish them here), so nobody can legally post up pages of phone numbers for random interested parties to leaf through.

What you can do in the event that you think you have the number of somebody dodgy is type it in and see if there's a hit. You still won't be given a full number, just told what the report is that it's linked to - you have to have the number in the first place :).

The difference between here and there is that here you have chance to read the story and see the signs to watch out for, or work out what sort of risk the guy is/is the report legit.

I had a guy phone me a few months ago who's number came up on UM, he sounded fine on the phone, wasn't doing or saying anything to set alarm bells off, and all UM said was "this guy is in our database".

I couldn't see him anyway, but did spend ages searching here and reading through the last 12 months of reports on the NUM site, couldn't find any detail at all.

So guess you just have to trust that it is a genuine report and someone to be avoided - sorry if that sounds daft, I do know of malicious reports on forums and between other providers - myself and two regulars have been on the sharp end of that twice, although that wasn't saafe but could have been.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: ana30 on 02 June 2015, 05:37:15 pm: Quote from: amy on 02 June 2015, 04:44:40 pm
It works the same way that other Ugly Mugs schemes do, the Ireland one being a fairly well known one. It's not legal to supply people with identifying personal details which would include a phone number (and is also the reason we can't publish them here), so nobody can legally post up pages of phone numbers for random interested parties to leaf through.

What you can do in the event that you think you have the number of somebody dodgy is type it in and see if there's a hit. You still won't be given a full number, just told what the report is that it's linked to - you have to have the number in the first place :).

Amy, sorry didn't quite understand. You meant type it in where? The ugly mugs website? Google?
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: Mirror on 02 June 2015, 05:38:09 pm: Ugly mugs have a number search facility on their website.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: amy on 02 June 2015, 05:40:21 pm: Into the Ugly Mugs number checker, which is on the Ugly Mugs website :).

Edit: cross posted.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: ana30 on 02 June 2015, 06:40:59 pm: I see. I didn't know that. Thanks Mirror & Amy ;)
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: nachos on 16 June 2015, 11:54:37 pm: Please, could someone advise me on getting my membership activated on Ugly Mugs. I registered yesterday and it said I will get a confirmation email when its approved. Its now been over 24 hours and they ve not got back to me and the login details and password I got from them doesn't work.

I need to contact them urgently as Im being threatened by some psycho :(

Thank you x
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: saturnspirit on 17 June 2015, 12:03:51 am: There is a phone number on the website. You can ring them and chat to them.

Also see if there is a sex worker project in your area.
Title: Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
Post by: nachos on 17 June 2015, 12:37:35 am: Oh cheers babe !! I will do that then!!