Former Police Officer Tells LBC Grooming Can't Be Stopped By Meetings Alone
12 August 2019, 13:44
Maajid Nawaz spoke to a former police officer who blamed cuts for the increase in grooming and exploiting of young children.
With the news that street gangs are recruiting children who are excluded from school by approaching them in fast-food restaurants with offers of a free meal, Maajid Nawaz spoke to a recently retired police officer.
She told Maajid that she used to work in neighbourhood policing, the former officer said it was "completely cut" in the Sussex force.
She said that she used to know all the vulnerable kids, and should there have been targeted grooming for exploitation then they would have been able to use their "police powers to put pressure on those establishments not to allow those sorts of engagements to take place."
The former officer said "since the cuts" all of the neighbourhood policing services have "retreated" and become "centeralised in the major towns and cities."
She said police officers have to "actually go there" to the places where children are being exploited and it cannot be fixed by holding meetings.
Watch the whole exchange in the video at the top of the page.
