Research output per year
Research output per year
Project Details
Description
This is the UK’s first national study of police responses to county lines drug
distribution and related child and adult criminal exploitation. The study examined how the police identify and process young people and vulnerable adults involved in drug distribution in cross-border and local drug markets.
The findings show that police forces are changing how they consider and process young people and vulnerable adults involved in drug markets. However, while they increasingly recognise vulnerability and investigate possible criminal
exploitation, policing practice varies significantly between and even within forces. The findings suggest that to help establish an appropriate minimum baseline safeguarding response, consistent across all forces, there needs
to be more detailed national guidance, policy, and centralised oversight in this area.
distribution and related child and adult criminal exploitation. The study examined how the police identify and process young people and vulnerable adults involved in drug distribution in cross-border and local drug markets.
The findings show that police forces are changing how they consider and process young people and vulnerable adults involved in drug markets. However, while they increasingly recognise vulnerability and investigate possible criminal
exploitation, policing practice varies significantly between and even within forces. The findings suggest that to help establish an appropriate minimum baseline safeguarding response, consistent across all forces, there needs
to be more detailed national guidance, policy, and centralised oversight in this area.
Key findings
- County lines activity varies and is changing over time.
- CCE/CE is now a more important focus than county lines in drug market policing.
- Although CCE/CE is increasingly important in county lines policing, unhelpful cultural barriers remain.
- A need to guard against complacency.
-Policing of CE/CCE is a postcode lottery.
- The current national training approach around CCE is largely deficient.
- Policing challenges around CCE/CE are not
simple.
- Multiagency partnership working was seen as the best approach.
- The team recommends a National Policing
Strategy for child and adult criminal exploitation.
- CCE/CE is now a more important focus than county lines in drug market policing.
- Although CCE/CE is increasingly important in county lines policing, unhelpful cultural barriers remain.
- A need to guard against complacency.
-Policing of CE/CCE is a postcode lottery.
- The current national training approach around CCE is largely deficient.
- Policing challenges around CCE/CE are not
simple.
- Multiagency partnership working was seen as the best approach.
- The team recommends a National Policing
Strategy for child and adult criminal exploitation.
| Short title | County lines, policing and vulnerability |
|---|---|
| Status | Finished |
| Effective start/end date | 1/05/22 → 30/04/24 |
Keywords
- H Social Sciences (General)
Research output
- 1 Other report
-
County lines, policing and vulnerability
Coomber, R., Devany, C., Kammersgaard, T., Lloyd, C., Brown, K. & Bainbridge, L., 2025, University of York. 4 p.Research output: Book/Report › Other report
Open AccessFile