County lines, a complex national problem explained
Why it’s a tragedy for vulnerable young people
The National Crime Agency estimates that there are over 1,500 county lines drug networks currently running across the UK.
I manage a substance misuse service for young people in a rural county within the West Midlands so I see the impact of county lines across almost everything I work on. Yet many people have never heard of the issue.
Better understanding of county lines will help us protect the vulnerable children exploited through the practice.
‘County lines’ are actual phone lines
County lines generally describes the process in which gangs from major cities expand their drug networks to other areas of the country.
These gangs typically use dedicated mobile phone lines to supply drugs to people in local areas, hence the term ‘county lines’.
As the practice grows so does its publicity. The St Giles Trust recently issued a report claiming that police and agencies have let vulnerable children down due to their inability to work across regional boundaries. And a Home Office report found that gangs were targeting young people who have been excluded from school.
At the heart of county lines crime is the exploitation of children
County lines follows a similar pattern to child sexual exploitation. First, there’s a grooming process. Most commonly, gangs from nearby cities target young cannabis users.
They set up in rural towns and work from the home of a vulnerable local, using the house as a base to sell drugs. This is known as as “cuckooing”.
Young people who ‘show potential’ are groomed with compliments and the illusion of friendship. They’re often given gifts like cigarettes, alcohol and free cannabis.
They then move onto the next stage and are allowed a larger quantity of cannabis so they can make a small profit. This stage sometimes involves stimulant drug use such as cocaine and MDMA. Sometimes they’re allowed to hang out with the gang members. The promise of belonging and acceptance is often a powerful motivator.
Eventually they’re allowed to start drug running. They’re given tasks to deliver packages to different locations in the town. Sometimes gang members will buy them a moped.
My team has recently been working with a girl who’s just 15 years old. Gang members made her travel to Liverpool to collect up to £4000 worth of stimulants to bring back to sell to her peers.
Young people are being manipulated
The grooming process is complete when the gang feels the young person is ready to run a phone line and sell class A drugs.
My team has seen young males as young as 17 selling class A drugs for gangs out of rented flats. Taxis pick them up in the morning and they will stay at the property until all the drugs are sold. Gang members only then allow them to return home. The process then starts again the following day.
Throughout this process the young people really believe they’re friends with gang members. They typically don’t see themselves as victims because they’ve been groomed and manipulated in a highly effective way.
County lines drug running has disastrous consequences for young people
There’s often a misconception that young people choose drug running as a lifestyle. Sometimes they are referred to as young criminals.
In reality, these are young and vulnerable people who’ve been groomed for a long period and often live in perpetual fear.
They often get arrested. Violence from other gangs is common, as is the threat of punishment for getting caught. Both the Home Office and key charities have linked county lines with rising knife crime. We worked with a 15 year old who was viciously assaulted by his ‘own gang’ for getting caught with £400 of cannabis.
Obviously they are involved in crime, but they are also victims of crime. In many cases we’re talking about children.
Young people need a second chance
As county lines grows as an issue we’d be making a huge mistake if resources are solely directed towards an adult criminal justice approach. Instead we need to work with these young people and recognise they’ve been ruthlessly exploited and often have nowhere to turn.
We need to give them a way back.
