NORTHUMBRIA Police joined forces with a North-East based global entertainment company in a ground-breaking project to protect the online gaming community.

The force worked with Ubisoft Entertainment, creators of some of the world’s biggest video games, to develop a partnership that is the first of its kind in the UK.

Officers delivered training to the company’s Player Support staff based at their global Customer Relationship Centre (CRC) in Newcastle to help them deal with severe reports of harmful interactions online and provide gamers with support.

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From there, a new protocol was established on how reports should be escalated to police where there is a threat of serious harm.

With Ubisoft’s games enjoyed by millions worldwide, officers can progress local cases or raise with the relevant force either in this country or overseas.

The new training, developed by specialist Northumbria Police officers in collaboration with Northumbria University, resulted in a small number of cases being referred each month. 

This includes a case where officers contacted Norwegian law enforcement, which resulted in safeguarding action being taken.

Chief superintendent Deborah Alderson, who led on the project for Northumbria Police, said: "Protecting the vulnerable is at the heart of everything we do – and while we can often physically see when someone is in need there are also people online who need support."

Northumbria University are now developing an online training package which can be accessed by other gaming companies.

"We’re working very hard to develop this enhanced training as an online offering for similar entertainment and gaming companies around the world.

“This will help customer support staff within the gaming industry understand when there is a threat of harm to players within their community and know what action to take to effectively help keep them safe."

Damien Glorieux, general manager at Ubisoft CRC added: “Our ultimate aim is to provide an inclusive gaming environment where everyone, anywhere in Ubisoft’s global community can have fun while feeling safe and respected. This collaboration allows us to perform that role more effectively without it infringing on players’ privacy due to strict data controls in place."

Northumbria University are key contributors to the partnership and are responsible for developing and future-proofing the training.