Specialist police team tackles Shropshire sex abuse gangs
Specialist police are targeting the problem of sex gangs in Shropshire – as a senior officer admitted "he would be a fool" to say young girls were still not at risk.
A team of 16 new officers and "significant amounts of money" have been invested by West Mercia Police in fighting child sex exploitation.
The pledge came on the first day of a review called following the police's Operation Chalice, which saw seven men jailed for grooming and sexually abusing young girls over a two-year period in the county.
The probe, headed by Telford and Wrekin Council, will also look at lessons learned from scandals in Rotherham and Oxford.
Detective Superintendent Steve Eccleston said: "The new specialist team looking into tackling child sex exploitation has helped us to meet increased reporting and make sure we have people with the right skills when these matters come in.
"We are about to see five Barnardos workers come in as well. These children don't want to see a uniform, or even a social worker.
"Will that be enough 24 months down the line? I don't know. But I personally think within West Mercia Police we are ahead of the game."
The review, which continues with a public hearing on Monday, was called to look at lessons learned by Operation Chalice. The gang targeted vulnerable teenage girls, many of them in care. Youth workers warned police and social workers there was a problem as early as 2006. The four women who gave evidence against the seven men were abused between 2007 and 2009.
Superintendent James Tozer said there were now no "no signs" of organised gangs preying on young girls in Telford or elsewhere in Shropshire – but admitted he "would be a fool" to say it was not happening.
He added: "Do I see the signs here? No. But it could be you could have people travelling from outside long distances into Telford.
"I don't have evidence - or even the suspicion - in front of me to say that the same circumstances as Operation Chalice are going on.
"Will it still be happening somewhere? Of course.
"Have I got confidence that our staff and partners are seeing the signs more often? Yes."
He was also asked to comment by committee member Councillor Roy Scammell on the fact it seemed like the majority of perpetrators in such cases were of "Asian origin".
But Superintendent Tozer replied: "It is not, in my opinion, something that is a culturally defined crime.
"It is about that classic case of victim, offender, location and opportunity."
The hearing will resume on Monday from 6pm at Addenbrooke House.
