Through national media and communications, the public are being exposed more and more to messages and information regarding what is called “County Lines” – so what is this?

How does it affect Herefordshire? What can we all do about it?

County Lines is the term used to describe gangs, groups or drug networks that supply drugs from urban to suburban areas across the country, including market towns, using dedicated mobile phone lines or ‘deal lines’.

Local police across Herefordshire have been working hard over the past few years to identify the “Lines” and the success in doing so has seen them work alongside regional police support to undertake the biggest operation of its kind in the region for some time – Operation Ballet - 75+ arrests and 10 of the “County Lines” being closed down.

Much of this success has also come from those pieces of information from members of the public who have taken the time to report “suspicious behaviour” – whilst on occasions, it may not look like their information has been acted upon as they would have expected, it is the gathering of the information which builds up to allow the proactive police approach.

However, County Lines is about more than just arresting people as the hidden facts also lie in the exploitation of some of our most vulnerable members of our communities where their homes are taken over to establish operational hubs to sell drugs – the term of “Cuckooing”.

This needs a real partnership approach with good open information sharing to help recognise the extent of the problem and disruption for it.

But it also needs communities to look out and see what may be happening within their neighbourhoods, to their family or friends and, then, together we can continue to disrupt, protect and keep Herefordshire safe.