NPCC definition of a County Line
The 2018 Home Office Serious Crime Strategy states the NPCC definition of a County Line is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas [within the UK], using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line”. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move [and store] the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.
In 2021 they said that “at least 14.5%” of modern slavery referrals were related to county lines activity.
Exploitation of young and vulnerable people
A common feature in the county line’s drug supply is the exploitation of young and vulnerable people. The dealers will frequently target children and adults – often with mental health or addiction problems – to act as drug runners or move cash so they can stay under the radar of law enforcement.
In some cases, the dealers will take over a local property, normally belonging to a vulnerable person, and use it to operate their criminal activity from. This is known as cuckooing.
People exploited in this way will quite often be exposed to physical, mental and sexual abuse, and in some instances will be trafficked to areas a long way from home as part of the network’s drug dealing business.
How do you know if County Lines drug dealing is happening in your area?
Some signs to look out for include:
- An increase in visitors and cars to a house or flat
- New faces appearing at the house or flat
- New and regularly changing residents (e.g different accents compared to local accent
- Change in resident’s mood and/or demeanour (e.g. secretive/ withdrawn/ aggressive/ emotional)
- Substance misuse and/or drug paraphernalia
- Changes in the way young people you might know dress
- Unexplained, sometimes unaffordable new things (e.g clothes, jewellery, cars etc)
- Residents or young people you know going missing, maybe for long periods of time
- Young people seen in different cars/taxis driven by unknown adults
- Young people seeming unfamiliar with your community or where they are
- Truancy, exclusion, disengagement from school
- An increase in anti-social behaviour in the community
- Unexplained injuries
Government response
The Government has been tackling county lines by investing in enforcement activities and early interventions to prevent at risk youth from becoming involved in county lines drug dealing and serious violence. It has invested:
- £65 million in county lines enforcement. This money has been used by police forces in the areas county lines dealers export from set up dedicated taskforces to pursue deal line holders.
- £28 million in a joint service approach to responding to drug misuse in places badly affected by county lines importing (known as Project ADDER).
- £105.5 million to set up eighteen Violence Reduction Units to coordinate early intervention work in areas worst affected by serious violence.
- £200 million in a ten-year programme to fund early intervention projects (known as the Youth Endowment Fund).
- £17 million in a programme to intervene with young victims of violence in A&E.
- £45 million in early intervention programmes in schools.
Alongside this significant investment the Government has also introduced legislative changes it says will help frontline workers combat county lines