County Lines Intensification Week 02/03/36-08/03/26

Today marks the start of the County lines Intensification Week- a coordinated, national initiative in the UK where police forces, the National Crime Agency (NCA), and regional organized crime units simultaneously crack down on criminal gangs that transport illegal drugs from major cities into smaller towns. These groups often target children and vulnerable adults to move, store or deals drugs, money and weapons on their behalf. The exploitation can include grooming, threats, violence and intimidation towards them, or their families. Whilst we continue this work throughout the year, the week allows us to highlight the actions officers and teams take to tackle this, as well as signs to spot and support. 

What to look out for:
Many organisations such as schools and hotels receive training to spot the signs of exploitation and county lines. For parents, guardians and members of the public there are signs that someone might be at risk of exploitation including:

Derby West Neighbourhood Team actions:

During the week we will be continuing our work around disrupting the gangs at all levels. We will be visiting secondary schools to deliver educational inputs around County Lines and exploitation. We have planned enforcement days to target the gangs and individuals in the street. We will ensure we are supporting victims and vulnerable adults by visiting them and signposting or continuing relevant support. We will be visiting hotels, travel hubs and shops to distribute leaflets and offer advice and education for staff. 

Support:
If any of the above seems familiar to someone you may know, please report it. Every piece of information is useful and vital to helping us build intelligence to disrupt and dismantle county lines gangs. 

We may show some of the work we have carried out as the week progresses. 

Many thanks, 

Sam