Drugs and Cuckooing What is a county line

Drugs and Cuckooing

What is a county line? County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line”. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.

The Problem of Cuckooing is a form of crime in which drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person in order to use it as a base for drug dealing. Criminals can operate out of sight from the police making it an attractive option.

The Drug Dealer • Target the homes of vulnerable people to use as a base for drug dealing • Offer free drugs to use their home for dealing • Force the person to deal for them in order to ‘repay’ their drug debts. • Have access to several addresses. • Move quickly between homes for just a few hours, a couple of days or sometimes longer. • Make it difficult for the police to monitor because they often will only stay for a short period of time.

Being Selective • victims are lonely • Isolated • frequently drug users themselves and are already known to the police. • older people • those suffering from mental or physical health problems • female sex workers • single mums • those living in poverty • suffer from other forms of addiction, such as alcoholism.

In Control • Brings risk of domestic abuse, sexual exploitation and violence. • Children and adults used as drug runners. • victims left with little choice but to cooperate • Forced to leave their homes, making themselves homeless. • Impact on wider community - brings issues to the immediate area

What are the signs of cuckooing? • • An increase in people entering and leaving An increase in cars or bikes outside Possible increase in anti-social behaviour Increasing litter outside Signs of drugs use Lack of healthcare visitors Dealing nearby

The Suffolk Safeguarding Adults Board (SSAB) considers Cuckooing an indicator of psychological abuse or maltreatment of an adult and defines it as: “The practice where drug dealers take over the property of a person with care and support needs and use it as a place from which to ruin their drugs business”. The SSAB Framework uses a 3 stage test to identify those adults who are at risk and eligible for support from the Local Authority: 1. 2. 3. The person has a need for care and support AND There is reasonable cause suspect there is a risk of or are experiencing abuse and/or neglect AND As a result of those care and support needs, they are unable to protect themselves from either the risk or experience of abuse and neglect.

• If they meet the criteria, they will be subject of a MASH multiagency discussion to decide whether the threshold is met for investigation by the Local Authority under S. 42 of the Care Act 2014. • If it has, the concern can be investigated jointly with an appropriate Police unit or by the Local Authority alone. • If the person is not eligible for services then the concern is passed back to the referrer or OIC to manage. • Young people between 18 -25 years who are Care Leavers can be eligible for support and the appropriate response will be decided in MASH following assessment. • The Suffolk Safeguarding Children Board has a policy to deal with people at risk of gang involvement, including cuckooing which can be found here https: //www. suffolkscb. org. uk/assets/Safeguarding-Topics/Gangs/County-Linesand-Gangs-Resource-Pack-2018. pdf

Police & Cuckooing • • Mapping Welfare Visits Community Intelligence Misuse of Drugs Act ASB Legislation Partnership Referrals Signposting

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