🚨 COUNTY LINES – KNOW THE SIGNS 🚨 - Staffordshire Smart Alert

🚨 COUNTY LINES – KNOW THE SIGNS 🚨

📱 What is County Lines?

Organised Criminal Groups (OCGs) use phone lines to move drugs from cities ➡️ rural areas.
They exploit vulnerable people (👶 children, 🧠 mental health, 💊 addiction) for drug running.
🏠 Cuckooing: Taking over someone’s home for drug dealing.

🔍 Signs to Look Out For

✅ 🚶‍♂️ Missing from school/home, found in other areas
✅ 💵 Unexplained money, 👕 new clothes, 📱 devices
✅ 📲 Lots of texts/calls, secrecy about contacts
✅ 📉 Drop in school/work performance
✅ 😔 Emotional or physical changes

🌐 Social Media Risks

💬 Grooming via DMs, posts, stories

📢 Recruitment posts for “workers” or “runners”

Emoji used - ❄ Cocaine | 🎱 Eighth of an ounce | 🚀 Purity | 💸“Fast cash” scams → debt bondage

🏠 Cuckooing Indicators

👥 Frequent visitors at odd hours
🔄 Changes in routine
👃 Unusual smells
🚗 Suspicious vehicles outside

📞 REPORT IT

🚨 Emergency: Call 999
📞 Non-emergency: Call 101 or report online
🙈 Anonymous: Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

🤝 Support:

Catch22

This organisation works with children and young people who are at risk of, or experiencing, Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE).They offer support and interventions to children, young people and their parents and siblings.

Email Catch22 or phone 07834 341601.

The National Crime Agency County Lines website explains more about county lines and indicators of exploitation in your area.

Safe 4 Me has details about support services nationally for young people impacted by Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation. They also have lots of information regarding specific forms of exploitation, understanding trauma, rights and the law and much more.

The Safeguarding Network have helpful tips for understanding indicators of exploitation and what may make a young person more vulnerable to being exploited.

The NSPCC offers guidance on understanding specific apps and platforms that young people may be using

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Message Sent By
Ross Enefer
(Staffordshire Police, PCSO, Tamworth)