Specialist policing team is being set up within West Yorkshire to stop County Lines drug running
£1 million to be spent on tackling drug running in and out of the region, with an additional £300k to be spent on support for victims
A specialist policing unit will be set up within West Yorkshire Police Force to target drug running in and out of the region.
The County Lines Task Force in West Yorkshire is an expansion of the government’s County Lines Programme and is backed by £1.3 million of funding – and includes additional specialist support for victims, expanding across Leeds and Bradford.
County Lines is a term used to describe gangs who are involved in transporting illegal drugs into different counties within the UK, using dedicated ‘deal lines’ often run out of the biggest cities with routes into different towns.
As part of the Plan for Change to deliver safer streets, the government is working closely with the police to put a stop to this trade and through its County Lines Programme, it already funds dedicated taskforces in major cities such as London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said:
“The appalling reality of county lines drug running is that criminal gangs exploit children and teenagers to run drugs, further drawing them into violence and serious crime.
“We’ve also seen competing drugs gangs running operations into small towns and communities also tackling violence and knife crime into those too. Officers at West Yorkshire Police have already made important progress in combatting drugs running in the area, and this funding will help the force go further to put a stop to this evil practice.
“As part of the Plan for Change, we are going further to protect children from being criminally exploited by investing millions into policing and introducing specific offences that properly recognise the harm it causes and punish those who choose to inflict this pain.”
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jones, said:
“The formation of a dedicated Task Force for West Yorkshire gives us an opportunity to build on the work we already do in tackling County Lines crime head on, making an even greater positive impact.
“County Lines crime has a direct effect on communities across the whole of West Yorkshire – from the exploitation of young and vulnerable people who are often coerced into doing the dirty work of hardened organised criminals, to the serious violence and drug-related misery that comes with it.
“Our aim is clear – we will be relentless in our pursuit of those behind County Lines by disrupting their illicit enterprises. We will safeguard victims, raise awareness of the dangers of County Lines and continue to work with our partners to make our towns and villages stronger and safer.”
West Yorkshire has consistently been one of the largest exporters of county lines drug running in recent years, which is why the government has chosen to provide further funding for the force and Catch22 to provide specialist support to victims in the region.
28 arrests were made and two lines were closed by West Yorkshire Police last week as part of a National County Lines Intensification Week. This also saw 26 people safeguarded and £9,000 of Class A drugs and over £100,000 in cash seized by officers.
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin said:
“We must protect our local communities, including vulnerable children, from the scourge of drugs and gang violence.
“This significant investment into a dedicated taskforce and support for victims will bolster our ongoing efforts to tackle this issue.
“We are determined that there will be nowhere to hide for criminals who exploit children and damage our communities both in West Yorkshire and across our borders.”