Policing vulnerability in sex work: the harm reduction compass model

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the current approach to the interaction between policing and sex work in England and Wales. It reviews the legal and policy context and outlines current policing guidance and priorities, introducing the Harm Reduction Compass as a mechanism to advance policing policy and optimise operational decision-making. Through critical discussion of occupational culture and reforms in policing, it also assesses how continuity, reliability, and transferability can be achieved across police forces within the existing hostile and outdated statutory framework. The Harm Reduction Compass (HRC) aims to focus policing resources on adult sexual exploitation and crimes experienced by sex workers by decoding the complexities of different individuals’ personal circumstances. This paper proposes a new framework as a model to aid operational policing by triaging different scenarios to reach the most appropriate response. This new model, which identifies autonomy and harm as the most significant indicators, addresses harm and vulnerability holistically and combines policing with public health and community-based approaches; this ensures the pathway to assistance and intervention is an integrated multi-partnership. The HRC is a step forward in progressing police culture around the use of language and in dealing with crimes against sex workers in the most appropriate way.

KEYWORDS:

• Sex work
• prostitution
• policing
• vulnerability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The Guidance pertains to England and Wales. Legal differences exist in Northern Ireland, but those responsible for police policy could adopt.

2 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/11/soho-police-raids-sex-workers-fear-trafficking

3 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-24531164

4 We use the terms tool, model and compass to all refer to the same operational Harm Reduction Compass.

5 For this reason we do not explicitly draw on harm reduction literature in health sciences although it is undoubtedly important to understanding ‘what works’ intervention-wise.

6 As the Crown Prosecution Service does not routinely publish arrest data, this was given with permission to cite from a personal communication from senior policy adviser at the CPS.

7 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/overzealous-police-will-soon-lose-public-respect

8 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-52101024