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November 2022
A Quick Guide to... County Lines
Cumbria Constabulary has a track record of successfully targeting organised crime groups who conduct this exploitative drug supply activity. The following information includes details on what County Lines is, the signs to look out for, and how to report it.
What is County Lines?
County Lines describes an Organised Crime Group (OCG) which traffics drugs using dedicated mobile phone lines. Drug users ring a number to place orders - and local street dealers deliver.
OCGs may exploit children and vulnerable adults, using them to move and store drugs and cash traveling across areas.
A short, 10-minute, video produced by the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre describes how county lines work and explores how this can impact on children, vulnerable adults and wider society. The video also identifies how you can play your part in identifying and reporting.
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Spotting the signs of County Lines
The following information is supplied by Cumbria Constabulary and is being communicated to members of the public. These are the signs that people should look out for in relation to county lines activity.
County lines: spot the signs on your street
- Lots of different and regular visitors to a house on your street.
- Increase in obvious drug-related activity.
County lines: spot the signs in vulnerable people
- Regular visitors to their home.
- New, unexplained visitors or support network.
- Becoming cut-off or estranged from family or existing friends or support network.
- New risk-taking behaviour.
- Substance abuse.
Tricky Friends is a short animation for groups and organisations who support people with learning disabilities and autism, about how to raise awareness of issues like exploitation, county lines, cuckooing. Watch the animation here.
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Home Office Guidance: for practitioners
The Home Office has published updated guidance to help frontline workers identify and protect victims of county lines gangs.
This is aimed at police and other statutory frontline staff,
particularly those who work with children, young people and vulnerable adults to identify potential victims of this type of criminal exploitation.
The guidance sets out the signs to look for in potential victims, and what action staff should take so that potential victims get the support and help they need. The document supplements any organisation’s existing safeguarding policies.
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How to report
There are many ways in which you can report information relating to suspected County Lines activity.
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