See also the main SAAFE.info site for more Support And Advice For Escorts

Author Topic: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme  (Read 17992 times)

amy

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,401
National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« on: 16 August 2010, 08:35:20 pm »
Right, I'm not even sure which section this ought to be in, but the idea is that as many of us see it as possible, so here will do for now (maybe it can do a spot of touring ;)).

As a few of you already know, I am very proud to be on an advisory group with the UK Network of Sex Work Projects which is developing a model for a new, anonymous, Ugly Mugs and dodgy punters national reporting scheme for all sex workers. The scheme is backed by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (both of whom are represented on the advisory group) and various other organisations are expressing encouragement and support. I must emphasise that the people and groups involved are credible, legitimate and above all accountable - there is no question of misuse of the information or people's personal details ending up floating around on the internet; the website and database will be secure and the information contained encrypted, so even in the event of hacking, nothing will be available for misuse.

I am posting on SAAFE at this stage to try and obtain some feedback from everybody on how the proposed bits for indoor workers will be applied - the form for outdoor workers has a few different questions and is really designed to be filled in by a third party so that outreach workers and project staff can report on the behalf of people whose personal circumstances make it difficult for them to do themselves. Anyone who has access to or uses a local project would be welcome to use this too, but since the situation of many independent indoor workers is different and we are often more isolated, the plan is to provide an online form and possibly a telephone number so that we can report into the scheme directly. If any of you would be happy to comment on draft forms when we have them ready let me know, we want lots of comments from sex workers to make sure we get something suitable. So:

Would you be interested in receiving alerts when crimes were reported? To ensure that UKNSWP offers a secure system which is in line with Data Protection law and information sharing regulations, any scheme may have to have some system which requires sex workers to sign up as members. This would also enable us to have some means of contact for you if there were other police investigations relating to the person who committed the offence. UKNSWP would only be able to share with members 'sanitised' alerts, that is, alerts/warnings which are summaries with information to help you identify offenders but with some information (eg. full names, addresses, car registration numbers) removed for reasons of human rights and Data Protection law - this will avoid putting any future court cases at risk. Would you be comfortable registering your work name and mobile number and/or email address?

As well as alerting sex workers to dangerous people, a key aim of a UK wide scheme would be to have better information about crimes committed against us and to identify offenders. UKNSWP would hope to share anonymised reports made into the scheme with national police analysts. Would you give consent for your anonymous report to be passed onto a national police contact? (By anonymous we mean that none of your details will be passed on to the police).

The eventual outcome will hopefully be that we have a national database containing details of those who target us, so that information can be shared and any patterns emerging can hopefully be spotted early. So, what does everybody think? The next meeting of the group is in mid October, and we really want some feedback from members here - any questions, just ask and if I can't answer I will be sure to check with someone who can. Please as well as responding to these questions do post any other comments you have on this initiative. What do we think?
« Last Edit: 16 August 2010, 08:53:21 pm by amy »

Lucy Chambers

  • Guest
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #1 on: 16 August 2010, 10:00:10 pm »
Hi Amy

I would be happy to register a work telephone number and work name, also email. I have to do this now in Ireland to be able to report an ugly mug, so it would sit equally with me. The only issue I could envisage, for me, would be if my attacker was caught and my evidence was then needed to secure a conviction.

I would be happy to go to the UKNSWP /police about any issue and supply information, but I would want to know exactly what I would have to do if the attacker was apprehended.

A) Would I have to attend court or could my written statement be used in evidence?
B)If I did have to attend court then would my identity still be protected and would I be assigned a trained liasion officer?

Congratulations, its a really exciting development.

amy

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,401
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #2 on: 17 August 2010, 07:55:12 pm »
As far as I know, in the event that court proceedings were brought and you wanted to testify you would probably have to attend court, although there are special procedures to protect vulnerable witnesses and there have been recent cases of successful convictions where sex workers have given evidence from behind a screen, or recorded it and had it played to the court (more information from the CPS here). You would have to give your legal name to the police to be a court witness, but it would not be reported or made available to anybody else.

Even if you decided not to take the risk of testifying, one of the purposes of the scheme apart from alerting others is to help police trace and catch offenders, so even if all you did was report an incident and its details it would still be very valuable. The people taking the reports by phone will be specially trained, and one eventual aim which has been discussed is encouraging more police forces to designate crimes against us as Hate crimes; that is to say, that they are motivated by the fact that we are sex workers (just as other people may be targetted purely because of their sexual orientation or ethinicity) as Merseyside Police did five years ago, and their conviction rate for rapes against us now stands at 67% - the national average for rape in the general population is 6%. 90% of cases for violence against sex workers that went to court there during 2005 to end March 2009 resulted in convictions, and if similar results could be achieved around the country that would be incredible progress.

I can ask about specific court procedures at the meeting, and am intending to forward a link to the thread around for the other members of the group to follow it, so as far as the nuts and bolts, someone will already know and I will fill the details in then :).

Cherrylips

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 246
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #3 on: 17 August 2010, 08:07:07 pm »
Amy

It sounds like a fantastic idea. 

I would have to think about whether I would give my details because I am so so careful, ok completely paranoid, about where my details could end up due to my future job that i'm studying for.  I do understand when you say everything would be encrypted though and its something I would definetely have a good think about.

Lucy's point is very interesting and I will look forward to hearing the outcome from the meeting.

I think its amazing that you're involved in this by the way.  Its a very exciting prospect and I'll certainly be taking an avid interest to see how it all goes.   ;)

Dani

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,483
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #4 on: 17 August 2010, 08:26:46 pm »
I would definately be more than happy to register with my name and any other details needed.
I would also not have any qualms about testifying in court  (already been there, done that) if need be as it would let these people know that we are not willing to be easy targets anymore.
I guess it is a little different for me because my identity is not kept secret and everyone whos opinion I care about know what job I do already.
Truth is far more important than what one wants to hear. With truth there is no us and them or colour or religion there is just fact

amy

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,401
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #5 on: 17 August 2010, 08:29:19 pm »
Well I ought to emphasise that anybody will be able to phone in or fill in a form and report - the registration would just be for people who wanted to receive alerts or were prepared to be contacted via the scheme, and most of us advertise our work numbers with our names anyway (which is all that would be asked for apart from maybe an email address).

The main aim is still the building of a database of happenings so that similar incidents can be linked if appropriate, and mobile offenders can be tracked. For example, if someone was travelling about booking ladies on tour and robbing them (as happened a few years ago), and always used the same words, had a distinctive tattoo or wore a particular jacket even, he could potentially be identified even if ladies hundreds of miles apart reported because all of the information would be kept together and the pattern could easily be spotted. At the moment, apart from in the case of extremely serious violent attacks, this information is not shared between sex work projects and different police forces around the country in any meaningful or organised way, and that's the idea behind this :).

Alexa Shelley

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 27
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #6 on: 18 August 2010, 02:11:13 pm »
Hi Amy, I think that the scheme is a superb idea and would be willing to share my details in order to receive alerts/provide warnings to other sexworkers. I can understand the pp's apprehension in terms of appearing in court SHOULD the situation arise, as I too try to remain anonymous for personal reasons. Hopefully such a scheme may deter perpetrators from targeting sexworkers, particularly independents because like it or not we are all at times pretty vulnerable due to a lack of a safety net which I feel your scheme would provide.

I however believe that if a criminal offence is perpetrated against us then we have as much right to justice as any one else irrelevant of our chosen career... I believe that the scheme may go some way to help overcome discrimination against sex workers and is a fantastic opportunity to build an ethos of looking after our colleagues - building upon the fab work already done at saafe.

Amy you deserve a medal for all your good (and hard) work :-) I for one would like to support the new scheme in any way possible.

Axxx

Carla

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 401
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #7 on: 25 August 2010, 02:33:20 pm »
Excellent stuffs! Would be happy to supply a work name, number and email address. Would also be happy to give feedback about the draft report forms when they take shape. xx

LauraLee

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 216
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #8 on: 11 September 2010, 06:26:33 pm »
I'm happy to provide information required for registration and also assist in any way possible.

I think it's a fantastic idea.  :)

Lushious Louisa

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 141
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #9 on: 21 September 2010, 02:43:51 pm »
Yes me too girls fab work  ;)

cassie

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,389
    • classycassieinchester
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #10 on: 11 October 2010, 01:24:17 am »
Definately be happy to register and give feed back on forms.

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the ground in the morning, Satan shudders and says: "Oh shit, she's awake!"

strawberry

  • Guest
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #11 on: 11 October 2010, 11:03:20 am »
I would register as long as we could be assured our details would not be used by ANY third party - including the police. They aren't the brightest in the pack even when supposedly acting on our behalf. Yes they included me in a 'survey' where a 3rd party rang and recalled all the details of a crime against my property, asked me to answer customer satisfaction questions without realising a SECOND crime arose out of the first, out of the fact the police didn't act upon a threat.

What I'm trying to say is that stuff can be really misused in unobvious ways.

Would there be a way to weed out those who would maliciously report guys?I know this sounds odd but I've experienced this myself(where other ladies have been warned off seeing guys, who are absolutely innocently fine).

amy

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15,401
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #12 on: 11 October 2010, 04:36:34 pm »
I would register as long as we could be assured our details would not be used by ANY third party - including the police. They aren't the brightest in the pack even when supposedly acting on our behalf. Yes they included me in a 'survey' where a 3rd party rang and recalled all the details of a crime against my property, asked me to answer customer satisfaction questions without realising a SECOND crime arose out of the first, out of the fact the police didn't act upon a threat.

What I'm trying to say is that stuff can be really misused in unobvious ways.

Would there be a way to weed out those who would maliciously report guys?I know this sounds odd but I've experienced this myself(where other ladies have been warned off seeing guys, who are absolutely innocently fine).

Well the only details needed to use the scheme are a working name and mobile number or email address - information that can easily be found online for most of us (we even made provison in the form for people who may have been working at home when the incident took place, and understandably don't want to give their address). The scheme is being put together by specialist units plus the UKNSWP and the Home Office rather than the town plod (which I have dealt with myself here too) but no-one is obliged to register anything at the end of the day, and of course anyone who has been the victim of a crime is still perfectly free to go and report it at their local station if they'd rather. The information contained in the database would, as already mentioned, be heavily encrypted and would be extremely difficult to access for anyone attempting to hack even if they managed to get into the server.

I don't think mentioning the possibility of misuse and malicious reports sounds odd in the slightest - it was one of the first things I brought up at an early meeting and of course it would be impossibe to say that this would never happen. However there is a hell of a difference between making a false crime report to the police and maliciously putting someone's details on a Warnings board say (to try and prevent other ladies from taking a booking from them - I've had that one too) - the former is an offence in itself, apart from anything else. There is no way you would be able to wipe it out altogether, but the form is quite detailed and I doubt anyone who just wanted to make a pain in the arse of themselves could be bothered to fill it all out. The general feeling was that the benefits of the scheme once up and running would far outweigh the odd idiot/hoaxer, in much the same way as having a 999 emergency number does.

The next meeting of the Advisory Group has been moved to mid-November to give us chance to hopefully get some feedback on the reporting form and also as more organisations are finding out and offering support. As soon as the final draft of the form is sorted, I'll PM the ladies interested in having a look - all feedback is very welcome!  :)

xxFallen Angelxx

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 66
    • TS Sophie
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #13 on: 11 November 2010, 03:49:41 am »
I would be happy to give my details to such a scheme as well as going to court to testify against an offender. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't report an incident and then heard that something had happened to another girl.

Tsescortvikki

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 134
  • Vikki
Re: National Ugly Mugs Pilot Scheme
« Reply #14 on: 12 November 2010, 05:18:53 pm »
I think its an excellent idea, I'd be happy to be a part of the scheme!
Being a good girl from now on.