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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:05 am 
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Taxi drivers ‘being treated like criminals’ over child sex abuse sessions




CABBIES in South Tyneside claim they are being “treated like criminals” after plans were revealed which they feel forces them to attend child sex abuse prevention sessions as a condition of their licence.

The council is proposing to make attendance at the training sessions a condition for Hackney Carriage and private hire taxi drivers getting a licence to work in the borough and the new rule would also apply to anyone handling calls in a taxi office.

The move comes in the wake of the Rotherham child abuse scandal.

The Jay Report into the scandal said more than 1,400 children were abused in the town between 1997 and 2013 and found taxi drivers played a “prominent role” in the abuse. Many of the victims were ferried to their abusers in cabs and some drivers were also found guilty of abuse.

A South Tyneside Council spokesman denied taxi drivers were being singled out for special treatment and said other selected groups will also be asked to take the course.

But some borough drivers have reacted with anger at the plan.

Hackney Carriage driver Michael Ridley described it as “an insult”.

He said: “It’s just another example of the nanny state and a complete over-reaction. The council are just making us jump through hoops.

“They are basically treating us like criminals. I am a driver with no criminal record – why should I have to attend a course on child sexual exploitation?”

He added: “A few years ago I was contacted by the Criminal Records Bureau because I had the same name and date of birth as an offender, but a different year. I gave fingerprints and palm prints.

“They are on a database. They know exactly where I am if they need to contact me. I have nothing to hide.

“This is the council being over-zealous. It’s a waste of time and money. When I was doing school runs and I was asked to attend a course on child abuse, which I did because I was told it would be beneficial. This is different – this is an insult to the trade locally.”

Another Hackney Carriage driver, who didn’t wish to be identified, added: “Why should we be associated with what happened in Rotherham? This is South Tyneside. We are being tarred with the same brush and it’s wrong.

“We face enough pressures without the council pointing the finger at us in this way. What are the public going to think of this?”

A report, to be presented to next Friday’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee says the measure was being considered to “ensure all private hire and Hackney Carriage drivers are fully aware of issues relating to child sexual exploitation, and other matters which the council may consider important in the future.”

Drivers will be given seven days notice of attendance at the training sessions and “failure to attend without reasonable cause may prevent renewal of a driver’s licence”.

The council’s licensing committee meets at South Shields Town Hall next Friday from 10am.

Cabbies are ‘eyes and ears of community’

A LEADING South Tyneside councillor says taxi drivers have an important role as the “eyes and ears of the community”.

Coun Tracey Dixon, the council’s lead member for area management and community safety, said many members of South Tyneside Hackney Carriage Association were supportive of the proposal for drivers to attend child sexual exploitation training sessions.

She said: “We are seeking the support of key members of the business community in tackling the issue of child sexual exploitation.

Independent reviews into such cases have concluded that tackling this issue should be everyone’s business and the council is committed to taking a proactive stance.

“Raising awareness in key business sectors – including the taxi trade – is part of our wider, ongoing approach.

“We have met with representatives of the trade – including members of the South Tyneside Hackney Carriage Association and a number of private hire operators – who have been supportive of the proposals.

“Taxi drivers have an important role to play as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the community.”

The council says the proposed training events are designed to give a greater understanding of CSE to teach members of the community to ‘spot the signs’ and to advise people how to report any suspicious behaviour so that relevant agencies can build up an intelligence picture.

source: http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/crim ... -1-7108601

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:25 am 
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They're trying to do the same round here. Talk about closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:32 am 
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With the revelations of Rotherham we should be accompanied by the police, councillors, civil servants, radio and tv presenters, weathermen, and pop stars.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:43 am 
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Nidge2 wrote:
They're trying to do the same round here. Talk about closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.


That's as maybe but no point in leaving the door wide open. Having said that with the Rotherham case even if drivers had made the council aware of their concerns they probably would have filed it under 'to be ignored' in the filing system anyway :roll:

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:48 am 
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toots wrote:

That's as maybe but no point in leaving the door wide open. Having said that with the Rotherham case even if drivers had made the council aware of their concerns they probably would have filed it under 'to be ignored' in the filing system anyway :roll:



So why make people sit on a course? Surely telling them don't fiddle with kids otherwise we'll give your name to the local vigilantes, then the police, should be enough?

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:51 am 
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captain cab wrote:
toots wrote:

That's as maybe but no point in leaving the door wide open. Having said that with the Rotherham case even if drivers had made the council aware of their concerns they probably would have filed it under 'to be ignored' in the filing system anyway :roll:



So why make people sit on a course? Surely telling them don't fiddle with kids otherwise we'll give your name to the local vigilantes, then the police, should be enough?


From my understanding of this course it is not to accuse drivers of kiddie fiddling but to spot children in their taxis that maybe being abused.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:53 am 
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its a waste of time and an absolute insult - the councillors themselves even mention Rotherham - so the spotting an abused child line is a non starter with me.

seriously speaking, if the council believe drivers need to be told that they should touch kids then that council is licensing some dodgy mo fo's

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:59 am 
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captain cab wrote:
its a waste of time and an absolute insult - the councillors themselves even mention Rotherham - so the spotting an abused child line is a non starter with me.

seriously speaking, if the council believe drivers need to be told that they should touch kids then that council is licensing some dodgy mo fo's


I'm going to assume you meant 'shouldn't'. It's not about the drivers ffs read what it says. Having said that it probably is a waste of time but do you know the signs that a child is being abused?

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:04 pm 
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toots wrote:

I'm going to assume you meant 'shouldn't'. It's not about the drivers ffs read what it says. Having said that it probably is a waste of time but do you know the signs that a child is being abused?


Yes I meant shouldn't touch kids

No I don't know the signs - but in the two to three minutes a child is in my cab I would ask the question is it possible?

They should be spending the time and effort with schools and nurseries - indeed, bearing in mind takeaways appear to be a source of abuse, why not them too? And maybe a trip down to Westminster wouldn't go amiss either.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:13 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
toots wrote:

I'm going to assume you meant 'shouldn't'. It's not about the drivers ffs read what it says. Having said that it probably is a waste of time but do you know the signs that a child is being abused?


Yes I meant shouldn't touch kids

No I don't know the signs - but in the two to three minutes a child is in my cab I would ask the question is it possible?

They should be spending the time and effort with schools and nurseries - indeed, bearing in mind takeaways appear to be a source of abuse, why not them too? And maybe a trip down to Westminster wouldn't go amiss either.


I understand the point you're making but personally I think the drivers are over-reacting and the same drivers would be probably think it's a shocking thing to have happen to at least 1400 children and want to know what the council are doing to help prevent it :roll:

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:22 pm 
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http://www.southtyneside.info/applicati ... eriodid=27

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... tic-report

Nothing in the council report saying what the course hopes to achieve or what it will contain.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:23 pm 
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its an ar*e covering exercize

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:29 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
http://www.southtyneside.info/applications/2/councillorsandcommittees/committeemeeting.aspx?committeeid=879&meetingid=3280&periodid=27

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... tic-report

Nothing in the council report saying what the course hopes to achieve or what it will contain.


Well ask them then

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:31 pm 
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toots wrote:
captain cab wrote:
http://www.southtyneside.info/applications/2/councillorsandcommittees/committeemeeting.aspx?committeeid=879&meetingid=3280&periodid=27

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... tic-report

Nothing in the council report saying what the course hopes to achieve or what it will contain.


Well ask them then



nope - doubtless we'll be all getting these courses now

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2015 12:37 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
With the revelations of Rotherham we should be accompanied by the police, councillors, civil servants, radio and tv presenters, weathermen, and pop stars.


If this is not personal and IF this is what they say it is all about..........then all Teacher/Nursery school personnel should be at the front of the queue for this course.

If the council feel that it is taxi drivers who need to go on this course, then it is their system that is failing, as is the case with most LA's/councils in treating the job in such a derisory manner.

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