Some Speaker’s Corner talks leave you smiling. Others leave you thinking! PC 1376 Steve Ellis, County Lines Development Officer for Lincolnshire Police, delivered one that did both — but above all, it left us with a much greater understanding of an issue that can be hidden in plain sight.
Steve explained that County Lines is, at its heart, a remarkably simple business model. Organised crime groups bring drugs into areas where they can make significant profits, using vulnerable people to help transport and sell them. Lincolnshire has no production of Class A drugs, meaning what is being sold here has come from elsewhere.
But the most powerful part of Steve’s presentation wasn’t about the drugs themselves. It was about the people being exploited. Why would a young or vulnerable person become involved? Steve explained that the reasons can be painfully human: protection, love, belonging, a sense of purpose or career — and sometimes debt. What may initially feel like friendship, status or opportunity can quickly become something much darker.
We also learned about “cuckooing”, where criminals exploit a vulnerable person’s home, effectively taking it over as a base for illegal activity. It was a sobering reminder that exploitation doesn’t always look like what we might expect.
The scale of the problem is considerable, with Steve explaining that there are currently 43 identified County Lines operating in Lincolnshire. And the financial incentives are huge. A kilogram of drugs that might have been worth around £17,000 in 2017 could now be worth around £26,000 — illustrating why organised crime groups are so determined to protect their business.
Yet Steve’s presentation wasn’t all bad news. He shared some of the positive results achieved across Lincolnshire during County Lines Intensification Week, demonstrating just what can be achieved when the police, partner organisations and communities work together.
It was an incredibly powerful, heartbreaking and at times emotional presentation, but also an important one.
Perhaps the biggest message we took away was that County Lines isn’t simply a problem for the police to solve.Knowing the warning signs, understanding how exploitation works and having the confidence to report concerns can all help protect vulnerable people in our communities.
A difficult subject, brilliantly presented — and one that certainly gave us plenty to think about long after Steve had finished speaking.