Call for ‘transformative’ sex work liaison officer role to be formalised across policing

30th June 2026Sarah Gibbons, Contributing Editor, Policing Insight

Sex work liaison officers (SWLOs) exist in fewer than one in four forces in England and Wales, but a new study evaluating approaches to violence against sex workers in Gwent highlights the “transformative” nature of the role; University of the West of England Assistant Professor Duncan McPhee, who led the team carrying out the research, spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about how SWLOs can restore the “trust deficit” between police and sex workers, and why the role should be formalised across forces.

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Call for ‘transformative’ sex work liaison officer role to be formalised across policing

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