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Week of action to tackle child criminal exploitation

Latest news in Yorkshire: October 08, 2018 12:35:47 PM

#wathupondearne

South Yorkshire Police have today (Monday 8 October) begun a week of
action to tackle the exploitation of vulnerable people, particularly
children, forced to sell drugs.

Members of organised crime groups move children or vulnerable adults
around the county, for the purpose of selling drugs in what’s known as
child criminal exploitation and ‘County Lines,’ in a bid to expand their
criminal network.

The term county lines comes from the phone lines used between people
dealing in different areas, as T/Detective Chief Inspector Jon Cousins,
force lead for Child Criminal Exploitation, explains.

“Child criminal exploitation and county lines sees urban gangs
systematically exploiting vulnerable young people and adults, to sell
their drugs in smaller towns or in more rural areas.

“County lines involves using a dedicated phone or ‘deal line’ and we
know that the offenders involved often use coercion, threats of violence
or physical harm to force youngsters and vulnerable adults to conduct
their illegal activities.

“This can often lead to further criminality such as other violent crime
occurring.

“In South Yorkshire, we are typically seeing this happening within the
county, and we’re working hard alongside our partner agencies, schools
and charities to put measures in place to protect vulnerable people and
identify any offenders.”

Typically, it’s young boys, aged between 15-16 who are being exploited
and any youngster who may be vulnerable due to special educational
needs, for example, or those who do not have an obvious support network
around them.

T/DCI Cousins continued: “Organised crime groups are increasingly
looking to target young people with ‘clean skins,’ those who are under
the radar in terms of being known to police and local authorities.

“However, it’s not just young people gangs will look to exploit.
Organised crime groups may also take advantage of adults who are
vulnerable and can sometimes take over their homes in what’s known as
‘cuckooing.’

“Cuckooing is one element of county lines which sees offenders
essentially taking over the homes of victims, typically vulnerable
adults.

“They may use the house for a few hours, days, or sometimes longer for
the supply and distribution of drugs in one area.

“Houses tend to be used for short periods of time to deliberately avoid
detection and ultimately arrest and again, offenders may use threats of
or physical violence to ensure someone is kept in their home while they
are dealing from it.”

This week, officers from across the force will be raising awareness of
county lines and carrying out intensive activity to identify any
vulnerable people, offer support and to also detain any offenders.

“County lines gangs are a threat to vulnerable people, both adults and
children and throughout the week we’ll be working hard to raise
awareness of this and to educate people about how they can help and the
signs to look out for,” added DCI Cousins.

“Tackling this type of criminality, and protecting vulnerable people
cannot be done by police alone though and we are working hard alongside
key partner agencies, local schools and charities to raise awareness and
protect those who are most vulnerable.

“Victims are often mistakenly viewed as having chosen to engage in
criminal behaviour. What we need to understand is why they are engaging
in this and how they became involved.

“We need to safeguard them, not criminalise them. This doesn’t mean that
those involved in criminality will simply be let off but we need to
protect them and put the necessary safeguarding measures in place so
that they are protected and do not become involved in this type of
criminality again.

“We also need the help and support of the public and over the coming
days we’ll be informing you of the signs to look out for which may
indicate that someone is being exploited or mistreated.

“We’ll also have a range of activity happening across the county,
including proactive warrants and public engagement opportunities, to
raise awareness.

“Follow #CountyLines on our social media channels to find out more and
to keep up to date with everything happening throughout the week.”

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