Policing responses to County Lines a ‘postcode lottery’, study shows
Researchers from the ESRC Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre call for a national policing strategy needed to tackle County Lines child exploitation.
There is no consistent approach to the policing of County Lines drug distribution, leaving children and adults vulnerable to exploitation and harm, according to a landmark study by the ESRC Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre.
The study found there are widespread systemic deficiencies and differences both in, and between, forces on the approach to County Lines policing, and, as a consequence, appropriate policing and safeguarding responses resemble a “postcode lottery”.
National guidance recommendations
The research team, including Associate Professor in Criminal Justice Dr Laura Bainbridge at the School of Law, University of Leeds, recommends that more national guidance and centralised oversight to create a minimum standard response within and between all forces is needed to protect vulnerable people.
In addition, researchers at the Universities of York, Liverpool and Leeds also suggest that the term ‘County Lines’ is now outdated, due to improved understanding of how drug distribution involving travel to other areas by young people has evolved to also encompass local drug supply and exploitation of young people.
The study, involving 117 interviews with key officers across 44 police forces, examined how the police process young people and vulnerable adults involved in drug distribution in cross-border and local drug markets.
Historically, those involved in drug supply have been criminalised, but in recent years an understanding that many vulnerable children and adults have been forced or manipulated into involvement has led to calls for them to be seen as victims – to be safeguarded not punished.
The findings show however, that although police forces are changing and increasingly seek to safeguard when exploitation is suspected, for example through the introduction of Child Centred Police Teams in some areas, there is still no consistent or baseline approach either across forces or indeed within single force areas.
Our research suggests that while some forces and their safeguarding partners are working well together to understand and respond to child criminal exploitation within the context of county lines operations, others remain focussed on enforcement and prosecution. This lack of consistency across England and Wales is producing a ‘postcode lottery’ situation, with pathways and outcomes for young people varying widely.
Criminal exploitation in drug markets
In contrast to the ‘out-of-town’ drug supply approach considered to be typical of County Lines, many forces reported that they now also see the equivalent of County Lines practices operating within local drug markets.
Both types of activity involve the exploitation of children and vulnerable adults and suggests that criminal exploitation is now the defining characteristic of this type of crime and should be the primary focus for police forces everywhere.
Researchers highlight that moving away from the term ‘County Lines’ would enable a clearer focus on the different approaches needed and the different teams required to improve safeguarding responses - criminal exploitation in drug markets rather than County Lines is now more important.
Andy Higgins, Director of Research at the Police Foundation, said: “This research paints a vivid picture of the way UK policing is shifting its approach to dealing with harmful social issues like Class A drug supply, from a sole focus on enforcement and prosecution, to one that engages with complex questions about culpability, vulnerability and the long term impact of its own policies and actions.
“It also shows, however, that the national picture is inconsistent, with police practice and attitudes differing across the country. Just as the 'discovery' of County Lines drug dealing made policing rethink the way it worked across force boundaries, the research highlights how it is now important to bring more consistency to the way forces deal with those who become involved.”
The research showed that while some forces have a good focus on vulnerability and have, for example, Child Centred Policing Teams and may also work in co-located spaces with social workers, specialist officers, Youth Services and NGOs, many do not.
Basic safeguarding approaches within policing and safeguarding partnerships differ across the country and within regions, and, as a consequence, the decision-making around how an individual is processed can vary depending on a range of influencing factors, such as biases around gender, race, and how old the young person looks but also how quickly and in what ways a local safeguarding panel manages to process suspected exploited persons.
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For more on Laura’s research project ‘Preventing and Disrupting County Lines 'Cuckooing’ Victimisation’ visit here.
Image by Frank Meriňo
