Lead for chemsex crime HMPPS (London), Operational Co- Lead – Project Sagamore – HMPPS & Metropolitan Police
Having identified a new context of criminality, Stephen has been leading the HMPPS response to chemsex related crime in London over the last seven years. Together with colleagues in the Metropolitan Police Service and National Crime Agency he co-founded ‘Project Sagamore’ which operates a parentship model to address the complex range of risk and vulnerabilities present in the chemsex cohort. Chemsex behaviour sits uniquely within a subculture of gay / bi male and trans communities.
To enable an appropriate diversity aware response Stephen also established partnership working with a variety of LGBT organisations, NHS sexual health providers and specialist chemsex intervention providers. The Sagamore Operational Group has assisted in policing operations, provision of expertise to the court process and daily provides case consultancy in relation to the ongoing sentence management of cases. Stephen provides consultancy to the secure estate, the national security team and ‘Prevent’. He directed the two year research study into chemsex crime which is the first of its kind both nationally and internationally. Throughout this work Stephen has been required to address specific issues relating to a percentage of chemsex related cases involving transgender identities. In this context Stephen has consulted to parole boards, MAPPA conferences, and with individual professionals holding cases.
He also chairs the monthly chemsex crime complex case panel and a bi-monthly chemsex crime professionals’ group. Both resources are required to consider transgender related cases. Prior to leading on chemsex crime, Stephen has worked for over 35 years as a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, Group Analyst and Organisational Consultant in both community and custodial settings. During this time, he has specialised in sexual crime, organised crime, offending related trauma and sexuality.