Im in more than happy about this one.

Cat x

Great idea. Imin and happy to provide reg info , give feedback and be part of this much needed scheme.

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:


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! 

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  .

I would love to be involved. Sounds awesome!

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!

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 .

Sign me up. Great initiative.

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.