Summary: We are investing an additional £20 million in tackling county lines drugs gangs.
- The Prime Minister and Home Secretary are absolutely determined to roll up county lines drugs gangs and put an end to the abhorrent exploitation of children and young people that they rely upon.
- To enhance our efforts to tackle this exploitative crime, we are announcing a £20 million package to expand the National County Lines Coordination Centre, allow the British Transport Police to establish a dedicated team to tackle county lines activity and provide more support to victims.
- Through empowering the police to keep us safe we are sending a clear message to criminals that they should feel terror at the thought of committing offences.
Background
- County lines involves drug gangs in cities exploiting children and vulnerable people to sell drugs in smaller towns and rural areas. Gangs will often use violence and threats to drive out local drug dealers and force children or adults with addiction or mental health problems to act as drug runners or move cash for them. Victims are vulnerable to abuse and trafficking.
Our solution
- We are announcing a £20 million package to tackle county lines and reduce the damaging impact they have on communities. This includes £5 million this year and £15 million next year to expand the National County Lines Coordination Centre, allow the British Transport Police to establish a dedicated team to tackle county lines activity, invest in new technology to disrupt county lines operations, provide more support for victims, and crack down on the illicit finance which drives county lines.
Conservative record
- Launching the National County Lines Coordination Centre to strengthen our response to these gangs. The £3.6 million National County Lines Coordination Centre was launched in September 2018, staffed with around 40 experienced officers and staff from the police and National Crime Agency to provide the capability for law enforcement agencies to share intelligence and plan operations to catch the perpetrators who cause so much harm.
Q: What about cuts to youth services?
We have increased local government funding this year, including additional money for social services, and we are investing £200 million in the Youth Endowment Fund to steer young people away from becoming involved in crime, by identifying early indicators such as truancy, substance misuse and family factors like parental criminality.
