30th September 2024

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Quinton Parish Council Serving the people of Quinton

What are County Lines?

Resident,

Fortunately South Northamptonshire continues to be a safe area for all of us, including our young people, however following an incident I attended earlier this week where concerns were raised after two young people travelled to London, unknown to both sets of parents, as they had lied about their destination. In this case the children got themselves into an uncomfortable situation, as they are approached and touched inappropriately by an adult male. They sought that safety of a Police officers on patrol, which shows the valuable work of our PCSO's and PC's going into schools and youth groups to address issues of personal safety, this could have ended up very differently.

However some work needs to be done with our young people, and parents, about warning them of modern dangers, as we ALL have a duty of care to ensure our future generations are safe from harm.

SO WHAT ARE COUNTY LINES?

County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups (OCGs) use phone lines to move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.

They exploit vulnerable people, including children and those with mental health or addiction issues, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs. This is often referred to as 'drug running'. Criminals may also use a vulnerable person's home as their base of operations. This is known as 'cuckooing'.

Signs to look out for

There are several signs to look out for that may indicate someone is involved in county lines:

  • repeatedly going missing from school or home and being found in other areas
  • having money, new clothes or electronic devices and they can't explain how they paid for them
  • getting high numbers of texts or phone calls, being secretive about who they're speaking to
  • decline in school or work performance
  • significant changes in emotional or physical well-being

Social media

Criminal networks use social media to groom and recruit children for county lines. They may send them direct messages (knowns as 'DMs'), or share messages to wider groups as 'stories' or 'posts'.

Ways OCGs (Organised Crime Groups) use social media

  • advertising drugs through photos, emojis, and price lists
  • posting statuses that show money, new drugs or when a dealer is open for business
  • dealers sharing 'stories' to followers, and using social platforms to expand their network with 'suggested' friends
  • tricking people with 'fast cash' scams, which is often referred to as 'squares'. Victims may end up working for no little or no money, which is known as 'debt bondage'
  • advertising for 'workers' or 'runners' to recruit people into county lines activity
  • using hashtags linked to drugs
  • using emojis as code for drug, violence and sexual activities, eg the snowflake emoji (for buying cocaine), 8-ball emoji (for buying an eighth of an ounce) or the rocket emoji (for purity of drugs)

Cuckooing

OCGs often use high levels of violence and intimidation to protect the 'county line' and control them. One of these forms of control exploits vulnerable people by using their home as a base for dealing drugs, a process known as cuckooing. Dealers often convince the vulnerable person to let their home be used for drug dealing by giving them free drugs or offering to pay for food or utilities.

Often OCGs target people who are lonely, isolated, or have addiction issues. It's common for OCGs to use a property for a short amount of time, moving address frequently to reduce the chance of being caught.

There are several signs to look out for that may indicate someone is a victim of cuckooing:

  • frequent visitors at unsociable hours
  • changes in your neighbour's daily routine
  • unusual smells coming from a property
  • suspicious or unfamiliar vehicles outside an address

Missing persons linked to county lines

Children and young people involved in county lines may go missing or be out of touch for long periods. During these times, they may be at risk of harm or violence.

If you are reporting a child as missing, you should look out for signs they may be getting exploited. You should note:

  • transport they may be using
  • people they may be with
  • people they may be in contact with

You can seek additional support from Missing People's SafeCall service, which is dedicated to those impacted by county lines.

Contact us

If you're concerned about drug-related crime in your area or think someone may be a victim of drug exploitation, please call us on 101.

If it's an emergency, please call 999. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000. Or text us on 999 if you've pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.

Report it

You can also report it online, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.

No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court or have to speak to police when contacting Crimestoppers.

Further information and support

  • The National Crime Agency County Lines website explains more about county lines and indicators of exploitation in your area.
  • Safe 4 Me has details about support services nationally for young people impacted by Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation. They also have lots of information regarding specific forms of exploitation, understanding trauma, rights and the law and much more.
  • The Safeguarding Network have helpful tips for understanding indicators of exploitation and what may make a young person more vulnerable to being exploited.
  • The NSPCC offers guidance on understanding specific apps and platforms that young people may be using.

Posted: Mon, 12 Aug 2024

Tags: News