1. Gangs, Criminal Exploitation and County Lines
Version 2: June 2019

2. County Lines
County Lines supply Class A drugs (primarily crack cocaine and heroin) from an urban hub into rural towns or county locations. This is facilitated by a group who may not necessarily be affiliated as a gang, but who have developed networks across geographical boundaries to access and exploit existing drugs markets in these areas. (County Lines, Violence, Exploitation and Drug Supply, National Crime Agency, 2017).
County Lines operate as drug dealing businesses and are motivated by profit.
Referred to as ‘going country’ ‘going cunch’ or ‘going OT’
How do they work? – Facilitated by the intro of a mobile phone number in a new area to extend drug dealing into new areas which are open markets – where demand is not saturated – larger areas like London are export hubs. Recent information suggests that smaller towns are becoming export hubs rather than just importing.
The Phone lines represent a gang's "brand“, do not change frequently, and are usually run from the their "home" city.
Hotlines are marketed using "business cards", while gang members exchange drugs for the phone numbers of known drug users, sending out blanket text messages.
Drug users from the new area will ring the number and local runners are then dispatched to make deliveries via a telephone "relay or exchange system", the report says.
Phone numbers can be used for a number of years, or even decades, and can be sold for up to £25,000.
One police expert estimated in 2015 that one line was earning £3,000 a day - or £21,000 a week - for a gang.
County Lines is a major cross cutting issue – covers the realms of drugs, violence, gangs/OCGs, safeguarding, exploitation, modern slavery, missing persons etc. involving a wide range of departments, agencies and organisations.
The group exploits young or vulnerable to achieve the storage and or supply of drugs, movement of financial proceeds and secure the use of dwellings (cuckooing).
Those exploited will frequently travel between the export hub and county market to replenish stock and deliver cash.
Children are exploited to act as runners and to conduct the day-to-day dealing on the streets. In some areas children as young as 8 reported.
The process of exploitation often involves deception, intimidation, violence (use of weapons inc. corrosive substances and firearms) , debt bondage and/or grooming.
Thought to be around 1000 across England and Wales.
County Lines have also helped to spread the violent culture of some metropolitan gangs into new locations and this has been the case in Suffolk.

3. Urban Street Gangs
A relatively durable, predominantly street-based group of young people who:
(1) see themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group;
(2) engage in a range of criminal activity and violence;
(3) identify with or lay claim over territory;
(4) have some form of identifying structural feature, and
(5) are in conflict with other, similar, gangs.
(Dying to Belong, 2009)
Youth gangs are not a new phenomenon but governmental concern about their activity is relatively recent.
Increase in violence this year – particularly in inner city areas.
The term gang has been and is sometimes used indiscriminately by the media and criminal justice system.
Important that we do not label all peer groups as being a ‘gang’ – impact on YP in local community, perceptions of others/authorities – feeds into identity
This definition is used by Suffolk.

4. Gang Membership
Gang Nominal: A gang nominal is someone who has been identified as being a gang member and this is corroborated by intelligence from more than one source (e.g. police, partner agency or community intelligence).
Gang Associate: A gang associate is defined as someone who offends with gang nominals; who is associated by the police, partner agency or community intelligence with gang members; or who has displayed, through conduct or behaviour, a specific desire or intent to become a member of a gang.
Gang Affiliated: A gang affiliated individual is someone who has links to gang associates or gang nominals. This for example, may be through growing up together int eh same neighbourhood or attending school or a sporting activity together. There is no known gang related offending between them.
How do they work? – Facilitated by the intro of a mobile phone number in a new area to extend drug dealing into new areas which are open markets – where demand is not saturated – larger areas like London are export hubs. Recent information suggests that smaller towns are becoming export hubs rather than just importing.
The Phone lines represent a gang's "brand“, do not change frequently, and are usually run from the their "home" city.
Hotlines are marketed using "business cards", while gang members exchange drugs for the phone numbers of known drug users, sending out blanket text messages.
Drug users from the new area will ring the number and local runners are then dispatched to make deliveries via a telephone "relay or exchange system", the report says.
Phone numbers can be used for a number of years, or even decades, and can be sold for up to £25,000.
One police expert estimated in 2015 that one line was earning £3,000 a day - or £21,000 a week - for a gang.
County Lines is a major cross cutting issue – covers the realms of drugs, violence, gangs/OCGs, safeguarding, exploitation, modern slavery, missing persons etc. involving a wide range of departments, agencies and organisations.
The group exploits young or vulnerable to achieve the storage and or supply of drugs, movement of financial proceeds and secure the use of dwellings (cuckooing).
Those exploited will frequently travel between the export hub and county market to replenish stock and deliver cash.
Children are exploited to act as runners and to conduct the day-to-day dealing on the streets. In some areas children as young as 8 reported.
The process of exploitation often involves deception, intimidation, violence (use of weapons inc. corrosive substances and firearms) , debt bondage and/or grooming.
Thought to be around 1000 across England and Wales.
County Lines have also helped to spread the violent culture of some metropolitan gangs into new locations and this has been the case in Suffolk.

5. Girls and Gangs Used to hold or transport drugs or weapons.
More likely to be asked to move drugs as thought to be less likely to be stopped.
Usually in a relationship with or linked via family to a male associated with gangs/ organised crime networks.
Risk of CSE is increased.
In some areas there is evidence that sex is exchanged for status within a gang.
Sex has been used by some gangs ( no evidence in Suffolk) as part of the initiation process as a way to control, humiliate and demonstrate group loyalty.
May be used to actively recruit new members locally.
The Guardian, ( )
Multiple roles
Evidence that girls are being used to actively recruit other females to join local groups
Girls in this context are often viewed as a commodity
Across country have been used to hold weapons, book hire cars, set up accounts for laundered money.
Trafficked, trap houses, booking hotels for parties etc
Girls may be at risk of being exploited both violently and/or sexually due to gang associations with family members and peers. They may not recognise that they are at risk and may ‘idolise’ the male gang members who they perceive as having status and wealth. Others may not see any safe way out and know that the repercussions of telling anyone about what is happening will result in rape, physical violence or being branded or cast out by their peers. Some females from black and minority ethnic communities in particular, may not disclose the abuse to their parents for fear that they will be perceived to have brought shame on their family.
Whilst CSE is the most prevalent form of victimisation that girls will experience, they do not always present as obvious victims and may too be involved in criminal gang related behaviour (often as a result of their relationships, coercion and control). As a result of this young women can remain hidden because their vulnerability is not recognised. (Islington SCB 2016.)

6. Social Media Tool for promoting brand Music videos ‘Drill’
Quick time exchange of information
Enhances status and reputation
‘Snapchat’ – immediate post which disappears
Has been important in evolution of the gangs in Ipswich – widens the network - number of likes, shares etc increases status.
Can be used as an enticement for recruitment purposes.
Creates invitation to respond.
Videos of violence between groups.
Watching videos of ‘drill’ groups – drill is pro-violent, related to cooking up drugs and facing up to rivalries – provocative – removal of videos.
Professionals to educate on safe social media usage.

7. Child Criminal Exploitation
Child Criminal Exploitation is common in county lines and occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18.
The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual.
Child Criminal Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.
Child Criminal Exploitation
Gangs exploit others for their own benefit…..
There is currently no legal definition of child criminal exploitation.
Child criminal exploitation is increasingly used to describe the type of exploitation seen with county lines.
One of the key factors found in most cases of county lines exploitation is the presence of some form of exchange (for example, carrying drugs in return for something).
Where it is the victim who is offered, promised or given something they need or want, the exchange can include both tangible rewards (such as money, drugs or clothes) and intangible rewards (such as status, protection or perceived friendship or affection).
It is important to remember the unequal power dynamic within which this exchange occurs and to remember that the receipt of something by a young person or vulnerable adult does not make them any less of a victim.
It is also important to note that the prevention of something negative happening can also fulfil the requirement for exchange, for example a young person who engages in county lines activity to stop someone carrying out a threat to harm his/her family.  An example of this could be an adult Class A dependant drug user who has a debt that needs to be paid, gangs insist that their child starts running Class A drugs to pay the debt off and if they don’t, they will be met with significant violence.

8. The Suffolk Picture
The picture in Suffolk, as elsewhere, evolves rapidly. Practitioners should be alert to the fact that this is the case, as the gangs and county line networks will adjust their tactics to avoid specific law enforcement or to gain greater market share.
Local concerns consist of two main elements which interact with each other.
Firstly, the emergence of at least two recognisable urban street gangs based in Ipswich and secondly the arrival of drug dealers travelling from drug export hubs to establish local drug dealing networks (County Lines).
In Suffolk these networks tend to be run from London. Over time the two elements have connected and interacted together resulting in some individuals including children and young people linked with Urban Street Gangs also being associated with County Lines
There is now some evidence of county lines activity in all parts of Suffolk.
Children, mainly from London are travelling to Suffolk to supply drugs or may be established in trap houses to deal them. There has also been an increase in the movement of local young people around Suffolk itself and into neighbouring counties
2 local groups – JB and Nacton – JB anyone and seems to be more organised and more closely linked with county lines activity. Nacton – community based, generational crime, fracturing within the groups into two gangs within the same postcode. Internal conflict
Cuckooing
Arrests for possession of Class A drugs, weapons, being in receipt of large amounts of money
Increased violence access to weapons
Rivalry and increased conflict
Competition and branding – music
Groups have become more organised and efficient akin to a business model – clear hierarchy (JB and emerging in Nacton)
Increased social competition – need to make money and maintain status / rep
Increased use of ‘trap houses’ often in multiples and across counties
Initially membership and involvement in county lines and gangs may allow young people to establish an identity and reputation amongst their peers (Harding, 2015). Young people involved often have an alias or ‘street name’ used regularly. While creating a degree of anonymity and a separation from ‘real life’ the use of street name creates and enhances reputation (‘rep’) and status particularly if the name represents a known ‘talent’ or threat.

9. Partnership Approach – Contextual safeguarding
Contextual safeguarding is a key approach to understanding and responding to young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their families.
It is important to consider disruption of the exploitation and that practitioners and police work together to identify the perpetrators, locations and networks associated to the exploitation and develop plans to disrupt these.
Multi-agency working to safeguard the child outside of the harm.
In the context of gangs and county lines, the nature of the family home is not necessarily the best indicator of the risk to the child.
3rd sector, voluntary and other bodies are important partners to help us keep our places and spaces safer.

10. Why are we concerned? Impact
A child or young person who is affected by gang activity or serious youth violence can be at risk of significant harm.
Exploitation to commit crimes such as selling drugs, stealing phones etc.
Retaliatory violence.
Psychological harm due to the trauma gang members experience and witness.
Physical harm suffered – whilst committing a crime or due to drug debts.
Violence to assert authority in the local area.
Sexual violence and sexual exploitation.
Gangs operating county lines are targeting the most vulnerable in our communities; looked after children, pupil referral units and the homes of vulnerable adults and those with mental health issues.
Children are being subjected to debt bondage, threats and violence (knives as most common weapon).
Vulnerable adults are losing control of their homes through cuckooing.
Wider age range across the hierarchy (8 – 24+).
‘…gang activity generates considerable harm…generating a need for multi-agency responses, with Safeguarding at the very fore of priorities.’ (NCA, 2016)
Within the gang, violence, including sexual violence, may become normalised to a point where the threshold for tolerance is raised higher as the child or young person becomes desensitised to its impact. Violence is then used by them as a prevention and self-defence mechanism to maintain their own safety.
Involvement within gangs can lead to hyper-vigilance and weapon carrying in order to avoid victimisation The young person will feel it necessary to constantly risk assess to determine their level of safety out of a constant fear of retribution or being seen in another area. This high level of stress will unsurprisingly impact on their emotional well-being and sense of self-efficacy.
Children and young people involved in county lines or gangs face a high burden of mental illness. They are at increased risk of conduct disorder, anti-social personality disorder, anxiety, psychosis and substance misuse compared to other young people in the criminal justice system.
Long-term exposure to violence is also a risk factor for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Criminal exploitation and CSE

11. Spotting the Signs: How do we know when a young person is being exploited by a gang?
Who may notice?
What might they see?
Group discussion – 5 minutes Who would notice changes and how would they see the YP presenting?
Family, friends, teachers, GP, A&E staff, members of local community, police, CJS
Changes in presentation, attendance, behaviour, arrested, missing, located away from home, injuries, low mood, going out frequently for short periods, distanced from things that used to interest them, less time with family, clothes, money, language etc.

12. What are the signs
Presenting with physical injuries and or refusal to seek/receive medical treatment.
Associating with peers who are involved/suspected to be involved in gang related activity.
Refuses/scared to enter certain areas.
Expressing aggressive or intimidating views towards other groups of young people (some of whom may have been friends in the past).
Multiple mobile phones/frequent change of phone number.
Frequently missing or missing for significant periods of time.
Travelling around a lot – seen in taxi’s regularly/being seen in cars (often hire cars), possibly with unknown adults, on a regular basis.
In possession of large amounts of unexplained money.
New clothes/trainers.
Drug related or violent offending involving weapons.
Sibling involvement.
Knowing what to look for
Be aware of changes
Gather as much details as possible

13. What to do if you suspect a child or young person is at risk of gang involvement or is involved with a gang?
Making a Referral to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
The Signs of Gang Involvement Screening Toolkit will assist in enabling practitioners to reach a reasonable working conclusion as to levels of risk.
Based on this assessment it may be necessary to make a referral to the MASH.
Professionals with concerns about a child or young person or vulnerable adult should follow the safeguarding referral protocols and procedures. Suffolk Youth Justice Service Consultancy and Advice is available from the Suffolk Youth Justice Service.
The Suffolk Youth Justice Service also has access to specific resources to use with children and young people at risk of gang involvement and expertise in this area of work.
The Signs of Gang Involvement Screening Toolkit can be found within:

14. If you have a concern about a child or young person
Talk to your Designated Safeguarding Lead
If you have an urgent safeguarding concern you should contact:
Customer First:
Suffolk Police: or in an emergency call 999.
Customer First can also be contacted out of hours.
If you have a concern about an adult and wish to make a safeguarding referral you will need to use the Suffolk County Council Children and Young People’s Portal.
The first time you complete a form you will be asked to create a new portal account. It’s quick and easy to register for an account, and means the information you send to us is secure. You can access the portal via the LSCB website:
If you would like to discuss whether or not a referral is required, you can call the Professional Consultation Line on to speak with a MASH social worker.
Your Safeguarding Leads will normally be your first point of contact for advice. However, if you have concerns and your usual lines of support are not available, do not let this delay you from acting.
We recommend that referrals are made by those with the concern or who have had a disclosure made to them rather than the Safeguarding Leads or someone else undertaking them on their behalf. This is because the MASH Team may want to contact you for further information or clarification in relation to the referral.
Most referrals can be made online, using the CYP Portal accessed via the LSCB website. However, if you are really worried that someone is at immediate risk of serious harm, then do not delay but telephone Customer First, or Police on 999 to make an immediate referral.
Telephone referrals will need to be followed up with a completed referral form. Try to provide as much information as possible when you make a referral, as Social Care will use this information to determine level of risk and what action needs to be taken.
It is important that you co-operate with any enquiries or investigations and provide relevant information when requested. The Data Protection Act is not a barrier to sharing information when there is a risk of harm.

15. If you have a concern about an adult
Talk to your Designated Safeguarding Lead
If you have an urgent safeguarding concern you should contact:
Customer First:
Suffolk Police: or in an emergency call 999.
Customer First can also be contacted out of hours.
If you have a concern about an adult and wish to make a safeguarding referral you will need to use the Suffolk County Council Adult Care Portal.
The first time you complete a form you will be asked to create a new portal account. It’s quick and easy to register for an account, and means the information you send to us is secure. You can access the portal via the SAB website:
If you would like to discuss whether or not a referral is required, you can call the Professional Consultation Line on to speak with a MASH social worker.
For Self-Neglect & Hoarding concerns, please complete the Self-Neglect and Hoarding Referral Form available from:
Your manager or safeguarding lead will normally be your first point of contact. However, if you have concerns and your usual lines of support are not available, do not let this delay you from acting.
Most referrals can be made online, using the Adult Portal accessed via the Safeguarding Adults Board website. However, if you are really worried that someone is at immediate risk of serious harm, then do not delay but telephone Customer First, or Police to make an immediate referral.

16. Useful Contacts Make A Change (MAC)
Tel:
Suffolk Youth Justice Service (YJS)
Diversion Referral Information:
Ipswich
Bury St Edmunds
Lowestoft
MASH Professional Consultation Line
Tel:
LSCB Website
Suffolk Police
Tel: 101 or 999 in an emergency
Suffolk Youth Offending Service has changed it’s name to Suffolk Youth Justice Service

17. Resources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHKccU2NYDQ
People-at-Risk-of-Gang-Involvement.doc.pdf
young-people