Government news and campaigns    

Call for evidence on ‘sex-for-rent’ 
The Home Secretary considers new ‘sex for rent’ law to better protect victims. The ‘sex for rent’ call for evidence launched on April 21^st and is seeking the views of victims, police and charities to better understand the scale and nature of the abhorrent ‘sex for rent’ exchange in the UK.  

The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman said:  

“It’s wholly unacceptable that vulnerable people, and particularly young women, are being exploited in ‘sex for rent’ arrangements. This is an abuse of power which puts people in desperate situations and has no place in our country. 

“The launch of this public call for evidence brings us closer to ending this deeply harmful trend and better protecting victims.  

If you would like to share your expertise on ‘sex for rent’ or are able to share the call for evidence with a survivor then everyone’s views would be welcomed, this will help us to better understand the crime and better protect victims. Please see the call for evidence here.   
 
Police given more time to focus on solving crimes 
New rules have been announced to cut unnecessary red tape when recording crime, giving police more time to focus on solving crimes and protecting the public. 

This announcement follows a National Police Chiefs’ Council review which found that 443,000 officer hours are spent filling in unnecessary forms and burdensome administrative tasks – time that could be better spent cutting crime and keeping our streets safe. 
Read Minister for Crime and Policing, Chris Philp’s speech here. Read more on this story here. 

Police Uplift Programme   
We’ve been working with the National Police Associations to co-create content aimed at encouraging groups that are currently under-represented to consider a career in policing. The videos feature serving officers from the Association speaking about their experiences and dispelling some of the myths and barriers we know people can have. 

This week we’ve published content with the National Police Autism Association and the Jewish Police Association. We would appreciate your help spreading the word in amplifying the videos on your channels:  

• PC Lermer shares her journey into policing and dispels common myths of working in policing, particularly for those who are observing the Jewish faith. Watch the full video here. 
  
• Neurodivergent people bring great value to policing. Hear how autism hasn’t been a barrier for Sergeant Burke’s successful 20 years in the police. Watch the full video here. 
  
  You can see the other Associations and the support they provide on the Join the Police website. 

This work is part of the overall Police Uplift Programme (PUP) to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers. PUP stats are published on a quarterly basis and as of December 2022, forces have recruited 16,753 additional officers as part of the Police Uplift, making up 84% of the target of 20,000 additional officers.  
The final PUP stats will be published on 26^th April. 

Machete Consultation 
The Home Office recently announced a consultation on proposals to tackle the use of machetes and other large knives in crime.   
This consultation is open to the public for seven weeks. It invites feedback from stakeholders, which the government will review before setting out its formal response. The consultation seeks to define which bladed articles face a ban under the proposals. You can respond online and fill in the survey here. Alternatively, you can get in touch by emailing [email protected] or writing to  
 
Serious Violence Unit 
5th floor, Fry Building 
Home Office 
2 Marsham Street 
London 
SW1P 4DF 
 
This consultation closes at 11:59 pm on 6 June 2023. 
 
Campaign Materials  
The government is running several campaigns for vulnerable audiences. We would be grateful if you could share campaign materials and messaging on your channels, and with your networks.
   

• ENOUGH. aims to challenge perpetrators and raise awareness of what we can all do to safely call out abuse. Please find attached a partner pack which includes more information on the campaign, and materials which you can share on your channels.  
• Stop Abuse Together aims to empower parents and carers to take steps to help keep the children in their life safe. All children have a right to be safe from sexual abuse, and we all have a role to play in keeping them safe. Let’s #StopAbuseTogether  
• Parentwise is designed to build parents’ and carers’ understanding of the range of harms their child could be exposed to. It includes a partner pack to help them spot the signs that something could be wrong and empower them to act if they are worried. 

 
Stakeholder news and campaigns  
ASB Help 
Following the publication of the government’s anti-social behaviour action plan, if you or anyone you know is being affected by ASB, ASB Help have an Act Now! Interactive Guide to Reporting anti-social Behaviour. Find help here. 
 
College of Policing consultation 
The College of Policing is running a consultation on their proposed new version of the Code of Ethics. They want to hear from people across policing, partner organisations, the public and charities. 
Have your say in shaping a modern-day police service you are proud of by taking part in the Code of Ethics consultation and ensuring it has a practical application to everyday policing. 
The consultation is now open and closes on Friday 28 April 2023 at 11:59 pm. 

You can take part by reading the revised Code of Ethics, completing the online questionnaire, or if you would like to provide an organisational or group response, or if you require a more accessible version of the consultation form, please contact [email protected]. 
 
Upcoming campaigns 

If your organisation has any upcoming surveys or campaigns that you would like us to highlight in our newsletter, please get in touch with the External Affairs team at [email protected]