Taken from Belfast Telegraph 7th September 09

Prostitutes in Northern Ireland could be provided with a confidential phone line to report sex and violent crimes to police.

And to make sure they remember the telephone number they could be given stickers for the soles of their shoes.

That was one just one of the radical schemes endorsed by new PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott during his time in charge of Leicestershire Police Force.

The 50-year-old devout Christian will take over the PSNI hotseat from Sir Hugh Orde in the coming weeks and may adopt similar measures here.

A big supporter of community-style policing, Baggott is being tipped to introduce a raft of changes, including the Crimestoppers STOP campaign that gives greater protection to prostitutes.

Under the scheme, prostitutes who have suffered physical or sexual violence ring the STOP number. Volunteers then pass on details of the attacker to police.

Because the information comes from a third party detectives cannot access the prostitute’s phone details, ensuring their identities remain secret.

Groups that work with prostitutes are also provided with stickers bearing the STOP number to give to those involved in the sex trade.

Prostitutes wear the stickers on the soles of their shoes so they cannot be seen by clients.

The STOP scheme was endorsed by the Association of Chief Police Officers, which Matt Baggott sits on as Vice-President.

It proved a huge hit with the Leicestershire Police Force, with officers making a number of high-profile arrests.


Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/new-psni-chief-may-introduce-radical-scheme-to-help-protect-northern-ireland-prostitutes-14482288.html#ixzz0RUcpIKVG