Op Makesafe

Op Makesafe: spotting signs of child exploitation

Operation Makesafe is a national initiative focused on making sure that the general public and people working in the business sectors are aware of the early warning signs of child exploitation and then know how to report concerns to the police.

Local and national evidence shows that child exploitation can take place in hotels, pubs, takeaways, and places licensed to sell alcohol. We are working to make sure people working in those environments can spot the warning signs and have the confidence to report their concerns to the police to safeguard any at-risk children.

Child exploitation isn’t always easy to spot, but there are signs to look out for, both for businesses and the general public:

General warning signs to look out for: 

• A young person carrying lots of cash.
• A young person with more than one phone.
• A young person who is accompanied by someone or a group who look older than them, and possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• A young person looking lost or in unfamiliar surroundings.
• A young person travelling alone, particularly in school hours, late at night, or frequently.
• A young person who appears to be anxious, frightened, angry, or showing behaviours that make you worried about them.
• A young person begging in a public space.

Warning signs for people working in hotels: 

• Adults booking young people into hotels during odd times of the day or night and with no luggage or ID.
• Young people with adults who don’t appear to be family members.
• Last minute or walk-in bookings.
• Guests who seem secretive about their visit or trying to hide that they are with a young person.
• Evidence of drug paraphernalia, condoms, or multiple mobile phones being found in a hotel room.
• Adult guests insisting on paying in cash and refusing to leave a credit card imprint.
• Bookings made in a different name to those checking in.
• A number of people visiting the same room.
• Rooms using a Do Not Disturb sign for an unusually long period of time.
• Use of porn channels in rooms with children.

Warning signs for people working in the taxi industry: 

• Adults putting a young person into a cab, who might be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  
• Young people being picked up and taken to hotels or AirBnBs, particularly at odd times of the day and night.
• Young people travelling a long distance, particularly at odd times of the day and night.
• Adults who behave unusually in the company of young people.
• A young person who looks concerned or frightened while travelling with someone else.
• A passenger who is too young to be travelling alone, in school uniform during school hours, or travelling with someone who does not appear to be a friend or family member.

Warning signs for people working in pubs, cafés or restaurants: 

• An adult with a young person who they are touching or behaving intimately with. 
• Adults befriending younger people, including buying them food and drinks.  
• Adults who come in on their own and always target young people.  
• Adults buying alcoholic drinks that you suspect are for someone under 18.
• Adults coming in with young people under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

How to report:

Don’t ignore your gut feeling that something isn’t right. If you see something, say something.

If you have any suspicions at all you can contact police on 101 and please quote ‘Operation Makesafe’. If you see a crime happening or you are worried someone is in danger, call 999.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.