Met Pilots Liaison Team as Officers Urge Less Criminalisation of Street Sex Workers

1. What is happening?

A BBC News report republished by the English Collective of Prostitutes says the Metropolitan Police is piloting Operation Amicus, a two-officer female liaison team in north London. The report says the team is intended to engage with street-based sex workers, build trust and encourage reporting of crimes against them after serious case failings.

According to the report, officers said the force needs to move away from criminalising women in street sex work. Officers also told the BBC they had met a cohort of 80 women identified as involved in street-based sex work, and one officer said every woman had reported some form of attack or abuse.

The Met said the pilot had improved safeguarding and increased reports of rape and sexual offences, but the article gives no quantified outcome data. The English Collective of Prostitutes and Professor Kate Brown of the University of York argued that liaison teams can improve safety only if they are designed well and if wider criminalisation is addressed.

2. The Somatic & Systemic Context

The report describes a legal tension in England and Wales. Selling sex is legal, while soliciting in public, brothel-keeping, working together, pimping and advertising sexual services are illegal. The report also says anti-social-behaviour powers are used against street workers.

For a trauma-informed reader, the systemic point is clear: when a person expects punishment, reporting harm can become harder. This is not just an individual choice. It is shaped by the power a system holds over a person’s safety, income, housing, records and future contact with authorities.

Amnesty International’s policy gives a human-rights framework for consensual adult sex work, while distinguishing it from trafficking, coercion and child sexual exploitation, which it says must remain criminal offences. The policy identifies criminalisation, stigma, discrimination, violence and barriers to justice as central obstacles to sex workers’ rights.

A peer-reviewed British Journal of Criminology article adds a useful caution. The 12-month, co-produced, multimethods study of a Sex Work Liaison Officer role in a large metropolitan police force in northern England found that liaison officers may help build trust and improve investigations. It also warned that this role sits inside a wider system where police can offer care and exercise control over criminalised sex workers at the same time.

For practitioners in somatic, touch-based and relational fields, this is a reminder that safety is not created by warmth alone. Power dynamics in therapy, coaching, bodywork and facilitation depend on what clients believe will happen if they disclose harm, refuse contact, change their mind or ask for outside support.

3. The Dual Perspective

What this means for daily life

If someone has learned that asking for help may lead to punishment, shame or loss of control, silence can feel like the safer option. That can affect everyday choices: who they tell, how clearly they set boundaries, whether they report violence and whether they trust professionals who say they want to help.

For clients and seekers, the wider lesson is to pay attention to practical safety, not only emotional comfort. A supportive person or service should be able to explain limits of confidentiality, possible consequences, referral routes and what choices remain with the client. When legal risk is involved, qualified legal or specialist advocacy support matters.

What this means for your practice as a coach, facilitator or bodyworker

For practitioners, this story points to a core boundary principle: trust cannot be demanded. It is built through consistent behaviour, clear limits and a willingness to name power honestly. A client may appear guarded not because they are “resistant,” but because previous systems punished disclosure.

In sessions, this means being precise about consent, records, confidentiality and referral pathways. It also means not promising safety you cannot provide. If a client or worker describes violence, exploitation or fear of authorities, stay within scope, avoid amateur legal advice and offer appropriate signposting to specialist services.

For intimacy professionals, relationship coaches, tantra facilitators and bodyworkers, the ethical parallel is direct. A safe container is weakened when the practitioner controls the language, the timeline or the consequences of disclosure. Real choice includes the ability to pause, refuse, leave, complain and seek outside support without retaliation.

4. Key Takeaways

• The Met is piloting a two-officer female liaison team in north London to build trust with street-based sex workers.
• The report says liaison may improve reporting, but it gives no quantified outcome data for the pilot.
• For practitioners, the ethical lesson is that care and control can coexist unless power, consent and consequences are made explicit.

Sources & References:

1. Original News – English Collective of Prostitutes republication of BBC News report
2. Context – Amnesty International policy on state obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of sex workers
3. Reference – Policing Vulnerability: The Care and Control of Sex Workers Through Designated Police Officers

Further Reading on The Conscious Channel: For more on ethical practice, consent and professional accountability, visit our Ethics & Accountability section.

This article summarizes published news and research for educational purposes. It is not medical, psychological or legal advice.

#PoliceLiaison #WorkerSafety #EthicsAndAccountability #TraumaInformedBoundaries #TraumaInformedCare #PowerDynamics