Skip to content

Sex work

Major investigation and public protection — Authorised Professional Practice

All topics

Summary

This topic covers the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) operational guidance for policing sex workers. It includes the framework for understanding sex work in the context of public protection and best practices for interacting with sex workers. The guidance aims to ensure that police treatment of sex workers is fair, respectful, and consistent with safeguarding principles. Officers are encouraged to consider the various factors that affect sex workers, including their safety and rights, while addressing any potential criminal activities involved in sex work. The guidance emphasizes the need for a nuanced approach that prioritizes the well-being of individuals engaged in sex work.

Key principles

  • 1Ensure fair and respectful treatment of sex workers.
  • 2Prioritize the safety and well-being of individuals engaged in sex work.
  • 3Address potential criminal activities in a nuanced manner.
  • 4Follow NPCC operational guidance for consistency in policing.
  • 5Engage with multi-agency support services where applicable.

Defined terms

NPCC
National Police Chiefs' Council.

Full guidance

Responding to public protection and major investigation issues, for example, child abuse, knife crime and sexual offences

This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) reference group has developed operational guidance for the policing of sex workers .

Do not provide personal information such as your name or email address in the feedback form. Read our privacy policy for more information on how we use this data

What is the reason for your answer?

Reproduced from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice under the Open Government Licence v3.0, as captured on 2026-06-27. APP is amended over time — check the source link below for the current version. This is a reference, not operational authorisation.

APP is the authoritative source for UK policing practice and is updated over time. For the current, official version — including any operational detail not reproduced here — go direct.

Read the full APP guidance

Source: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.