TACKLING 148 NETWORKS

County lines drug dealing has been described as being like Japanese knotweed in the way it has spread across Yorkshire, Lucy Leeson reports on how this growing threat is being tackled by police forces across the region.

A PUBLIC health approach is needed to tackle the county lines drug dealing epidemic and rise in violent crime that is sweeping across Yorkshire, a key policing figure has said.

Figures released exclusively to

reveal there are 148 known drug lines across the Yorkshire county.

In West Yorkshire, there are nine mapped and scored organised crime groups linked to county lines and mainly in areas such as Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield. However there are a further additional 80-plus groups that are also involved in the supply and dealing of drugs.

Police in West Yorkshire have also flagged 87 people as potential child criminal exploitation perpetrators, with a further 339 vulnerable adults and children at risk of criminal exploitation – 111 of which are linked to county lines.

Detective Inspector Andy Farrell, Regional Co-ordinator for County Lines at the Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “A public health approach is needed to tackle the problem of county lines – the police cannot solve the issue on their own.

“Yes, each force has its own strategy, but we are constantly working closely with our key partners and sharing intelligence every week with the National County Lines Coordination Centre.

“This enables all 43 police forces to look for trends and see if there are any links.

“We also have the Yorkshire and Humber Strategy where we have fortnightly operational meetings which are working really well, but each force area is different and also has its own challenges to face.”

The four Yorkshire police forces – Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire – are working together with various partner agencies including housing, drug and alcohol support workers, pharmacies, banks and schools to tackle county lines.

Det Insp Farrell believes early intervention and education is the key.

“We have PCSOs who have delivered presentations to thousands of school children to prevent them being targeted by these criminals,” he said.

“Our aim is to target Year 6 children, so those that are around 10 years old – that’s where you really need to start catching them before it is too late.

“Our resounding message is for professionals to be curious about what children are doing. They need to have those awkward conversations and make children aware.”

Saleem Tariq, Director of Children and Families at Leeds City Council, said the authority takes the issue of child criminal exploitation associated with county lines “extremely serious” and has established “early help hubs” across the city where specialists work closely with schools to identify children who may be vulnerable.

He said: “We are working together to develop data, intelligence sharing and reporting in order to better understand the local picture.

“Through the Safer Leeds Partnership, police officers also spend time in schools as part of the Safer Schools Programme.

“There are currently 24 officers covering 35 secondary schools across Leeds and this innovative, ongoing partnership work helps prevent young people becoming victims of crime of becoming involved in crime or antisocial behaviour.”

With criminals targeting children at railway stations and bus stops across the county, British Transport Police has been working in partnership with Yorkshire forces across the region’s rail network.

A dedicated taskforce was set up in December and so far 100 arrests have been made.

Detective Inspector Thanh Ly, of the British Transport Police, said: “Throughout 2020, we’ll be working with police forces nationally to continue this work and dismantle these exploitative drug gangs.”

In North Yorkshire, the force has three dedicated, proactive county lines teams based in areas that are impacted most – York, Harrogate and Scarborough.

Police have identified 655 individuals identified in County Lines offending.

In 2018, 197 arrests were made in connection with county lines. This increased to 222 in 2019.

Detective Inspector Fionna McEwan, of North Yorkshire Police’s Organised Crime Unit, said: “This is a result of extensive intelligence gathering and joint working with a number of partners, locally, regionally and nationally including the National County Lines Coordination Centre.

“Tackling drug trafficking is one of our highest priorities. County lines activity and the associated violence, drug dealing and exploitation has a devastating impact.”

A public health approach is needed, the police can’t solve it on their own.

Detective Inspector Andy Farrell suggests a way of tackling county lines dealing.