This webinar will outline findings and recommendations from the UK’s first national study of police responses to county lines drug distribution and related child and adult criminal exploitation.
“County lines” is the term given to the practice of drug dealers from cities e.g. London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham moving in on drug markets in smaller towns to sell Class A drugs. The gangs involved usually operate across several police force and local authority areas.
In these markets, vulnerable people, including children, are often recruited (groomed, manipulated and/or coerced) into carrying and selling drugs, with supply managed via the use of dedicated mobile phone lines.
In county lines, there has been a significant shift in policing approaches towards young people and vulnerable adults who are increasingly seen as victims of criminal exploitation, rather than simply as suspects or offenders.
However, the extent to which vulnerable individuals are seen and processed as victims and safeguarded, or criminalised, varies enormously between and within police forces. This results in a policing and outcomes postcode lottery with serious implications for procedural justice.
The findings suggest that to help establish an appropriate minimum baseline safeguarding response, consistent across all forces, there needs to be more detailed national guidance, policy, and centralised oversight in this area.
This webinar will cover the findings from this Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre project and explore its implications. Join us on Thursday 3 July to find out more.
Speakers
- Chair: Professor Charlie Lloyd (University of York)
- Professor Ross Coomber (University of Liverpool)
- Dr Chris Devany (University of York)