Children are being exploited by drug crime gangs – know the signs to spot

As part of work by the Home Office to raise awareness of ‘county lines’, promotional posters are now available to download and display, to help frontline staff spot the signs of potential victims, and what to do next.

County lines gangs use children and vulnerable people to courier drugs and money – this is how it typically works:

• A group establishes a network between an urban hub and county location, into which drugs (primarily heroin and crack cocaine) are supplied;
• A branded mobile phone line is established in the market, to which orders are placed by introduced customers;
• The group exploits young or vulnerable persons, to achieve the storage and/or supply of drugs, movement of cash proceeds and to secure the use of dwellings;
• The group or individuals exploited by them regularly travel between the urban hub and the county market, to replenish stock and deliver cash;
• Intimidation, violence and weapons, including knives, corrosives and firearms are often used.

Locally, the University of Suffolk has carried out research and published a report, into local county lines, initially focusing on the Jubilee Park and Nacton Road areas of Ipswich, where residents and agencies had become increasingly concerned about the levels of crime, youth gang activity, drug dealing and distribution and the possible exploitation of children and young people. However, the scope was widened to cover Ipswich as a whole to ensure the full picture was understood.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner said: “This report for me is a very serious call to arms to work together across all agencies, communities, businesses and the voluntary sector to support our young people at risk of becoming embroiled in the gang and drug culture. No one agency can solve these problems on their own; we need to pool resources and focus our attention to make a real impact. Personally I will do everything I possibly can to ensure the action plan that comes out of this research is a resounding success and the work must start now.”

Download the Home Office posters here.

Read more on the University of Suffolk county lines research here

Ask for Angela

Suffolk Constabulary will be supporting an innovative campaign which helps enable those who feel vulnerable on a night out discreetly ask pub and club staff for help.

The ‘Ask for Angela’ initiative aims to reduce sexual violence and vulnerability by providing revellers with a discreet phrase they can use to gain assistance from staff should they find themselves in a worrying or intimidating situation.

The initiative, which was originally launched by Lincolnshire County Council in 2016, has already gained support across the country with a number of other forces, partner organisations and councils backing the campaign.

At the bottom of the page you can find a link to a poster to use if you wish.

It is hoped that by ‘asking for Angela’, a person within a club or bar can quickly alert staff and gain their help. Staff will then take the customer to one side and find out more regarding the type of support they need.

As part of the initiative, options available to staff include offering to call a taxi in order to get them home safely, trying to contact friends or family, or as a final resort, asking the individual who may be causing distress to leave the venue immediately.

Staff and officers from Suffolk Constabulary met with security door staff and bar and club representatives at Unit 17 in Cardinal Park, Ipswich, on 30 November 2017 to launch the campaign.

On the evening, various representatives from the community joined the launch when training was provided for door supervisors by Suffolk Constabulary and a presentation on the ‘Ask for Angela’ initiative was rolled out.

Staff and officers from Suffolk Constabulary distributed the posters advertising the initiative to venues across the county where they will be placed discreetly in toilets of bars and clubs set to take part in the scheme.

Detective Superintendent Eamonn Bridger said: “With Christmas and the party season almost upon us, it seems more important than ever to back this innovative campaign and introduce it in venues in Suffolk as it a simple yet effective initiative that allows those who may find themselves in a vulnerable situation with an easy and quick way to gain help.

“It will now mean the person ‘asking for Angela’ can leave and get away safely without causing embarrassment or confrontation. However, should a more serious incident arise, then bar staff can contact police to help them deal with the matter.

“We want people to enjoy themselves on a night out but we want to remind everyone that should any issues arise that they can now ‘Ask for Angela’ at the bar or by way of conversation with a door supervisor or member of staff at participating venues”. Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore added: “Anything aimed at keeping people safe has my full support.  This is a very imaginative campaign and if it helps protect just one vulnerable person over the Christmas period it will be a success in my book.

“As we head towards the party season I would urge everyone to think about their personal safety and the safety of their friends during festive celebrations this year.

“Asking for Angela is a simple way to flag to others that you feel vulnerable without having to go into detail, it’s a great idea and one that I hope partygoers and staff in bars and clubs will embrace.”

An ‘Ask for Angela’ poster can be found here:  AskForAngelaSuffolkVersion poster

More legal aid support for victims of domestic violence

Victims of domestic violence will get more support in taking abusive former partners to court, the Ministry of Justice announced yesterday.

The current 5 year time limit on abuse evidence in the family courts will be scrapped, while the range of documents accepted as evidence of abuse will be widened to include statements from domestic violence support organisations and housing support officers. The changes will come into effect from January.

Read the Ministry of Justice press release here.

Community Reserve Volunteer Initiative

(On behalf of the British Red Cross)

There is a new volunteering role the British Red Cross launched throughout the UK at the end of November. The Community Reserve Volunteer initiative aims to recruit a pre-registered reserve force of volunteers who will be able to assist their community in the event of a major local emergency.

As the devastating terror attacks in Manchester and London and most recently the Grenfell Tower fire have shown, when a crisis hits there is often an outpouring of support from individuals offering to help in any way they can.

This project, supported by Aviva, provides a way of harnessing that goodwill, and gives members of the public a practical way to use their kindness, skills and local knowledge to help others, carrying out practical tasks, as a coordinated part of the overall response. By pre-registering, members of the public will be contacted as soon as extra help is needed. Volunteers can choose on a case-by-case basis whether they wish to help out, and are fully insured and managed by the Red Cross.

It only takes ten minutes to sign up online at www.redcross.org.uk/reserves. People are required to watch a short training video and fill in an online application form. In the event of a local emergency they will be mobilised at the appropriate time by the Red Cross, via text message.

When deployed, community reserve volunteers will be supervised by trained personnel from the Red Cross, never working alone. They will carry out practical tasks, such as filling sandbags, or preparing food for a flooded community, allowing our existing volunteers and staff more time to concentrate on the more specialised tasks they have been trained to perform, such as providing practical and emotional support directly to people in crisis.

Christmas drink-drive campaign launched today

Deciding to drink and drive could cost you dearly this Christmas’ – that’s the message from Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies as both forces launch their Christmas campaigns today.

The month-long operation against driving under the influence of drink or drugs will see officers in both counties carrying out extra patrols and roadside checks. Any driver who is stopped due to concerns over the manner of their driving, a vehicle defect or is involved in a collision will be breathalysed.

Specific time slots at Norwich and Ipswich Magistrates Courts have been reserved to deal with those caught drink or drug driving. This effectively means that offenders could now lose their licence within 24 hours of being breathalysed whilst facing additional fines.

Read more here.