By Janine Ewen, published: 04/04/2024. This blog was originally published on Policing Insight.
I think it’s safe to say I’ve had an unorthodox and extremely challenging career to date. I’ve trained police officers, helped the police in dealing with messy situations, and seen the extreme end of policing (militarised police operations against drug traffickers in South America).
“Only two days after arriving in Scotland, my mum spoke to a large room of police officers and social workers about domestic abuse. To be able to do that, given the circumstances of trying to adjust to leaving home and settling into a women’s refuge with two young children, is incredible.
The first time I was ever involved in anything policing related was during my childhood in Northern Ireland, when on several occasions officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland came to my house to deal with my father’s violence.
It was a combination of being physically restrained by the police, asking my mum to go back into the house to deal with “the situation”, and groups of police officers coming to hold my father back so we could leave the house.
If you’ve had such a traumatic time in your childhood, you wonder if other people have experienced the same things. You begin to see what can go wrong under the guise of protection when it doesn’t lead to situations of safety.
Going into policing and vulnerable populations was also something I had to do, to find a way of honouring my mum’s work. Only two days after arriving in Scotland, my mum spoke to a large room of police officers and social workers about domestic abuse. To be able to do that, given the circumstances of trying to adjust to leaving home and settling into a women’s refuge with two young children, is incredible – and I’m not just saying that because it’s my mum!
It’s not something I would recommend to others who are experiencing adversity and trauma; at least not at a time when everything is so fresh. She was adamant she wanted to help, even though she was extremely nervous.
This was many, many years ago when there wasn’t as much development in trauma-informed practice as there is today; I very much doubt anyone would ask a victim of violence to do that now.
My mum’s case also highlighted the reality of situations when perpetrators don’t give up. A religious organisation in Northern Ireland contacted the local women’s aid charity who were supporting us, and said my father wanted to send a letter of apology (he’d already had 10 years to apologise). He obviously suspected where we were.
The women’s aid organisation agreed to accept the letter, so that gave the signal where we were. It was manipulation by my father, and women’s aid had fallen into his trap. We know he came to Scotland three times looking for us, so my mum had mine and my brothers’ last names changed.
My mum never got any sense of peace in her life until we found out he’d died in 2010. You can understand why safeguarding and protection means a great deal to me. I want young people to be safe from violence.
Lived experience
So how did I end up working with people in the underground economy? When I was at secondary school, occasionally a few of us would get the bus from Aberdeenshire into Aberdeen city.
The concern is that people who bring their experiences to the table are perceived as too invested/emotional, attention-seeking and not objective – but this isn’t the case. I’ve never met anyone who wants to make their lived experience ‘all about me’.
One time, the girls I was with insisted we go down to the harbour area. At that point, I didn’t know why (what a weird suggestion!). I had no knowledge of the managed zone for sex workers in the city.
The girls began to shout at a woman who was talking into a car window. When the car drove off quickly, the girls continued to shout at her, but the woman didn’t respond – and it threw me off course completely.
I remember asking what they were playing at, to which one responded: “She’s a dirty prostitute, that’s why.” I still didn’t get it at the time. I wondered why, for whatever reason someone is on the street, do they deserve that sort of treatment?
I told them to shut up, which didn’t go down too well. So, that was it. I knew then I was going to become someone who was interested and respectful of people’s lives, regardless of whether they are criminalised or not.
I know lived experience is a contentious matter for people, although how it is viewed needs to change. The concern is that people who bring their experiences to the table are perceived as too invested/emotional, attention-seeking and not objective – but this isn’t the case. I’ve never met anyone who wants to make their lived experience ‘all about me’.
It’s about the ability to critically think about situations and scenarios. You have a ‘sixth sense’ in detecting danger, especially if you have come from adversity and chaos. You can ask questions that perhaps others won’t ask, or foresee situations they can’t predict at the time.
Lived experience means you can complicate and challenge binary thinking, which is essential in this line of work – I’ve got a powerful harm-reduction and risk-assessment head on my shoulders. I see public health solutions as a way to start dissolving adversity, ideology, and harms from criminalisation.
Best advice
I’ve been producing open-access material for criminologists, but also for people starting out. I want to give the best advice I can for those who are new to policing and vulnerable populations.
A friend and criminologist, Dr Kate Herrity, spoke to me recently about making sure people at the start of their career get the right support, as it’s those coming through who will take everything forward into the future. She said the most junior person at the table is always the most important.
We share similar passions for creating knowledge and addressing marginalisation. I’m an advocate for overcoming repressive structures in knowledge production and undoing the harms that structural inequalities create.
I’ve been producing open-access material for criminologists, but also for people starting out. I want to give the best advice I can for those who are new to policing and vulnerable populations – based on my more than 20 years’ experience of this work. So below are my ‘Top 10 Tips’.
Top 10 tips for Early Career Researchers
1
Never go to a meeting (formal or informal) with the police without taking an accurate record of what is being said. You don’t need to be authoritative about it, but politely offer to keep a note and explain you will send this around to everyone.
You must do this; trust me. If you’re making progress in an area that has taken a substantial amount of time and negotiation, you want to be able to have a note of the ‘yes’ – because after all, you’re trying to support the most vulnerable. Consider this as a form of safeguarding for the work you are doing.
2
Frontline multi-agency meetings – if you get the chance to go to any, do it! Attend as many as you can fit into your schedule.
I know they might seem boring, and at times, not as progressive as you’d hope, but if you can work a room and watch people’s body languages and energy, it will help you in your career in policing vulnerable populations. You’ll realise it’s about managing people and their emotions, as well as presenting evidence-based research.
3
Consultations are the best way to create what is close to a collegial environment. The more the police hear from other officers, and other people who speak up wanting to challenge the ‘status quo’, you’ll find that more important remarks and discussions will follow.
I’ve had the good fortune to participate in and facilitate three consultations (two in Europe and one in Scotland), thanks to the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA) – a network which I love because it’s a learning and sharing network for everyone, no bureaucracy.
I keep the outputs and use them as a follow-up in any harm reduction/policing vulnerability endeavours. This acts as a reminder for the Association too, because like everyone, they can forget.
But the outputs from the consultations are precious, and you should keep them as a point of reference. I prefer consultancy or workshop-type days to any talks and presentations at conferences.
4
If you’re organising a police / service provider / lived experience gathering to discuss a contentious matter, or if this is about implementing a harm reduction project or health needs assessments, be aware that people who are being criminalised may not feel comfortable unless there is a written agreement of the terms before the meeting happens. This is perfectly acceptable, and you should help facilitate this (via email).
The sad reality is that the vulnerable populations you are supporting might have had experiences of police violence and corruption. I’m sorry, but it’s the real dangers of criminalisation and corruption in the police.
These individuals have every right to be fearful and suspicious, but they should feel that they are in control (helped by trauma-sensitive work). Additionally, there could have been numerous attempts at partnership work before, but the police have let them down (that’s why it’s essential to do your homework on what has happened previously).
Pre-meeting agreements work, and they should be led and designed by the group or individuals you are advocating for.
5
Is there a harm reduction initiative being introduced by one force in the UK that you think your own local police force should look at? One thing I’ve noticed in my own work is that police forces don’t always appreciate ‘transfer’ suggestions, even if it is a great evidence-based idea. This can be frustrating, but you must accept it at the time. Don’t show your frustration, you can vent it afterwards. You never know what the future holds.
The chances are if, deep down they view it favourably, they will look out for it in the future – and it’s even more likely if national police colleagues develop new guidelines to support it. Don’t lose all hope.
6
You’re having a meeting with the police, and they have asked you not to say anything about plans they’ve made, which could have significant consequences for a vulnerable population. This is a disaster. It’s taken ages to get to a ‘good place’, but they are asking you not to disclose something important. Under no circumstances is this acceptable.
Make it clear, if you are meeting the police, that you don’t want them to tell you anything which may compromise your own integrity. It’s great that they trust you but be insistent. You have a duty to protect your work and the people who rely on you.
7
Remember that the police have been dealing with many of these challenges for a long, long time. They have seen all kinds of horrible situations themselves and haven’t always agreed with the wisdom of criminal laws.
You’re a new face, and if you ‘big foot’ and go over the top with passion (as though you’re going to solve all these matters), you will lose them instantly – they will see you as a full-blown careerist. Be proud of your achievements, but be humble.
8
Child sexual exploitation. I remember one case that raised a valid point to the police, regarding the sex industry.
It’s a reminder that exploitation can exist everywhere. It doesn’t look like the stereotyped image of chains and brothels, and harm can result from inaccurate awareness-raising material.
A young girl had reached out to a sex-worker-led harm reduction project, a project I was part of developing, because she was concerned that by going to a service provider that had negative views on prostitution, they wouldn’t have the same understanding and she would be at risk of judgement.
She was being pimped out by her schoolteacher to paedophiles across Glasgow. Originally, the schoolteacher was dating this pupil, but then asked if she could “be nice” to his friends. It was basically a child sexual exploitation ring hiding and operating from a school. The project supported the girl by visiting her at home and accompanying her to visit the police.
It’s a reminder that exploitation can exist everywhere. It doesn’t look like the stereotyped image of chains and brothels, and harm can result from inaccurate awareness-raising material. You must reference these awful cases to prove a point. If you’re interested on sensitivity and tackling exploitation, Dr Ella Cockbain is one of the best academics in the country.
9
Never involve yourself in research that is extractive and doesn’t speak on behalf of people with lived experiences. I’ve been amazed how much harm can be created through poor practices by academics. Sometimes I’ve asked myself how some research projects manage to get ethical approval.
If you conduct research on a group or community in relation to marginalisation and vulnerability, whatever you do, make sure you go back to that community to present your research.
10
Please look after yourself. Self-care is one of the struggles in life we don’t cope with well. It’s hard to put yourself first when you’re supporting people who don’t have the luxury to be able to prioritise their health.
If you’re a good-hearted soul, having a mindset of taking care of yourself will be difficult, but you must try and change your attitude as early as possible in order to avoid mental health challenges in the future, including burnout, depression, and vicarious trauma. If you want a long career in this area of work, you must do whatever you can to protect your mental health. Do it for the people you are supporting.
The harm reduction work that is happening now has been made possible by many, many years of hard work. The fact that agreements, networks, co-producing, etc are taking place is a major milestone.
At one point in time, people in harm reduction were doing a lot of pro-bono work and attempting to ‘mop up’ messy situations involving poor police practices (unfortunately, some still are).
Never forget the people who worked before you, who have pushed for the more positive practices taking place today. I wish you all the very best in your career of policing vulnerable populations.
Images
Photos supplied by Janine Ewen