County Lines is a criminal drug distribution network originating from mayor cities, exploiting vulnerable individuals, especially children and infiltrating into the countryside to distribute Class A drugs to a wider audience. This almost invisible web of criminal operation gives almost an impossible task to the authorities as it is so complex by its multidimensional nature as it is present in the physical and online space, also extend geologically across the UK and involves not just the trade of drugs, but exploitation, abuse, grooming and violence. This policy report will paint a picture how County Lines exploit children and at risk individuals, explore the current policies regarding substance misuse and propose new policy implications, strategies and recommendations in order to tackle the issue.

Importance and Context

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)

As County Lines is a form of exploitation that primarily affects children and young vulnerable and disadvantaged people, therefore it is important to explore the context of this phenomenon before we discuss the topic in detail.

CCE is very complex issue as it involves the exploitation, manipulation, coercion and control of a person under 18 to participate in a criminal/ gang activity. This complicated relationship between the offender(s) and victim(s) which might appear consensual, may also include financial/sexual abuse, grooming, violence and drug related crimes. (Firmin, 2018; Sherlock, 2019; Robinson, 2019; HM Government, 2018) According to the National Crime Agency (2017; 2019) child criminal exploitation cases on the rise, identifying County Lines as the main cause as they grow and closely linked together. Children’s Commissioner (2019) reports that around 46,000 children involved in gang activity and a further 313,000 at risk of being involved.

Regarding existing academic research and understanding the connection between CCE and County Lines, unfortunately limited amount of data available. On the contrary, there are numerous news reports on the issue, but they are not reliable, nor painting accurate picture of the phenomenon.  In addition the notion of CCE hides the fact, that not only children but other vulnerable groups are also victims of exploitation in relation to County Lines (Robinson et al., 2019). 

County Lines

County Lines defines a criminal operation run by urban gangs, involves drug supply to distant rural areas, child exploitation, human trafficking, modern slavery, sexual abuse and violence. In practice a criminal group infiltrates into a countryside location in order to funnel drugs into the area from a major city. The drug transported and distributed by vulnerable children, promoted on social media and coordinated through mobile phone by senior gang members. (Andell and Pitts, 2018; Robinson et al., 2019; Spicer, 2018; Coomber and Moyle, 2018)

When drug markets in big cities grow to a certain point, where dealers cannot find new customers, because “growing number of dealers is not accompanied by a growing number of users” (Ruggiero, 2010, p.51), they expand their businesses outside their city to find new users, retail their product, and grow their network and income. (National Crime Agency 2016; Coomber and Moyle, 2018)

The drug is produced in a city like London, Birmingham, Liverpool (National Crime Agency, 2016) by senior gang members. Heroin is the most frequently (79%) supplied substance, followed by crack cocaine (70%) according to the NCA and it get transported and sold by exploited children as they less likely to be searched and caught by the police. This provides the dealers anonymity and the ability to extend their network in a distance and maximise their earnings. They also exploit vulnerable people (drug addicts, elderly, individuals with mental health issues and the poor) to use their properties to accommodate the runners and distribute the drug to the local consumers, this practice called cuckooing (Spicer et al., 2019).

Cuckooing

Cuckooing, according to the police is an essential part of the County Line drug trafficking operation. Taking over – using manipulation and intimidation – a vulnerable individual’s home by a dealer or a gang provides a hidden environment (disguised from the public and the police) for their criminal activities. (Essex Police, 2018; Spicer et al., 2019).

The consistent demand for Class A drugs and the fact that the market shifted away from public sight makes the County Lines successful, as it is a constantly growing, almost invisible drug market. Also the special relationship we discussed above, between the actors (gang members, dealers, runners, consumers) makes the phenomenon even more complex and difficult to understand, dismantle and eradicate as it is not just a simple drug dealing offence, these people involved socially, financially, geographically, emotionally and sexually.

Policy Recommendations and Implications

Current policies

The UK Drug Strategy 2017 aims to tackle the nation’s drug issue with two primary goals: reducing illegal drug use and increase the numbers of people recovering from their addiction. These goals backed by four main themes, such as reducing the demand of drug use, drug supply restrictions, improving the recovery of individuals and a broad initiative to tackle harms of illegal substances. The Strategy involves health, housing and education policies all across England, however Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are developed their own unique and local approach. It also integrates alcohol focused prevention programmes, intervention and treatment into the Strategy as those substances are key drivers of delinquency.

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 regulates the control of substances in the UK, it sorts drugs into three (A, B and C) classes and defines the penalties, aggravating and mitigating factors and provide guidelines for related offences and sentencing. The Act differentiate between possession of controlled substance and possession of drug with the intention to supply, which is counts as a trafficking offence (Drug Trafficking Act 1994), however the use of drug does not count as a crime.

Social Responsibility Act 2011 and Police Reform invented Temporary Class Drug Orders (TCDO) to provide legislators a more efficient way to answer the New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 regulates, criminalise and ban psychoactive substances, also penalise the production, supply and possession and also provides sufficient powers to authorities. 

Recommendations

1, Communication Strategy

County Lines are multi-dimensional complex phenomenon challenging traditional police practices and requiring new approaches, cooperation between law enforcement agencies, third sector and local communities. Sharing intelligence and data, being transparent is crucial to identify and to take action against criminal exploitation, drug trade and gang culture (National Crime Agency, 2017).

Raising awareness within the community also an essential part of the Strategy. For instance The Children’s Society, a charity that provides prevention, mental health and supporting services for young people, especially whom involved in County Lines, CCE and substance misuse. They also lobbying and conducting research in order to influence policy makers to help vulnerable, marginalised, discriminated and at risk children.

Educating and informing young people about the forms of exploitation also essential as they likely to justify and neutralise (Sykes and Matza, 1957) their abuse, exploitation and unequal relationship with other gang members.

Working together with residents to tackle the core causes of involvement with the County Lines, such as social inequalities, poverty, housing issues, homelessness, stigma, and substance dependency could help reduce the harm done by involvement in drug related activities and could potentially prevent all form of exploitation and related offences.

2, Data Collection

In order to communicate and understand better the issues of CCE and County Lines authorities require accurate and up to date information.  Therefore data collection methods need to improve in term of accuracy, consistency and quality.

First, the government should re-evaluate the CCE as a category, as it does not reflect the data collected on children nor on criminal exploitation. There should be a category that records children affected by exploitation and separate category for those who receiving aid from children’s services. This would prevent unnecessary stigmatisation and labelling. Also the category does not include those exploited individuals whom involved in County Lines, but grew into adulthood. 

Second, the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and special markers should be implemented all across the services, agencies and databases, such as children’s services, police and missing person databases to achieve consistency, efficiency and to be able to create nationwide picture of the issue (Counting lives, 2019).

3, Harm Reduction Strategy & Policing

This Strategy engaging communities in order to build trust between the authorities and the community, addressing individual’s needs and reducing the harms of drug use. It also including and recognising how substance dependency affecting people, their family and the wider community. Therefore the police, third sector and health professionals should work together to help achieving the goals above and to increase public health and safety (Krupanski, 2018).

In practice authorities can create facilities and harm reduction services, such as needle programs, medication treatments, substance analysis schemes and NHS supervised drug consumption rooms. The implication of these would prioritize victims’ life over criminalisation, therefore encourage the police not to arrest and press charges when overdose happens, carry and use opioid antidote (naloxone), prioritize and protect victims and witnesses in drug related crimes and work closely with health actors (NHS).

Applying this approach to policing would benefit drug addicts, their relatives, the police and the whole community. Research (Van Den Berg et al., 2007) showed that it could reduce the prevalence rates of HIV and hepatitis C, decrease the numbers of needle injuries and increase the homeless people’s involvement with drug services. It also affects reoffending, crime rates and indirectly prison population, just as the police’s good relationship to the public. To effectively combat and prevent County Lines policing and policy making should prioritise substance harm reduction over prohibition.

4, Diversion Strategy

This Strategy encourages authorities to apply diversion, de-criminalisation and de-stigmatisation, crime prevention and rehabilitation over prosecution and criminalisation. For instance Thames Valley’s Youth Inclusion Program available targeting vulnerable, at risk children, helping them to participate in meaningful activities. In Windsor and Maidenhead a delayed a delayed prosecution scheme offering individuals under 18 to address their substance dependency, instead of entering the criminal justice system.  Custody intervention, such as the Metropolitan Police’s Divert Project Scheme approaching people (age 18-25) in custody to help them reintegrate to society via education and employment.

These strategies produce significant positive results, such as lower rate of re-offending, employment after custody, however these programs does not reach every potential offender/ at risk individual, therefore it is difficult to evaluate their outcomes. Also, these programmes are dependent on funding which could compromise and jeopardise the long term results.

Conclusion

This policy report painted a picture of the County Lines by exploring the context of the issue, such as child criminal exploitation, how the drug market operates, overviewed the current legal framework and policies, highlighted the challenges authorities face and showed how this network exploit vulnerable people, especially children. In reflection to these issues, this paper drafted four recommendations in order to tackle the concerns above. The Communication Strategy proposed a coordinated data and intelligence exchange between agencies and a community based approach, where residents and at risk individuals could communicate and work together. The second point addressed data collection methods, standards and mechanisms in place. The Harm Reduction and Policing chapter suggested practical implications for the authorities, such as improve their relation to the local community and to invest facilities, services and programs. And finally the Diversion Strategy urged authorities to divert instead of criminalise, especially young offenders. However, acknowledging the complexity of County Lines, these policy recommendations would not solve the problems, rather just reduce the harm and latitude this network operates. To eradicate this phenomenon we need to deal with the underlying issues our society suffers from, such as poverty, social inequality, homelessness, but that would be another topic for policy recommendations.