Campaign to tackle serious organised drug crime launched – as Buxton revealed to be “key area of concern” for County Lines exploitation

Buxton has been highlighted as a key area of concern for exploitation by County Lines drug gangs. The four-week campaign will encourage the public to give information that ultimately leads to action being taken against these gangs.The initiative supports the national Clear, Hold, Build approach, which aims to do three things – clear out dangerous crime gangs, hold the area to prevent new rival drug gangs appearing and build community resilience.Crimestoppers is warning how organised crime gangs target people to find out their vulnerabilities. A lifestyle is then sold before loyalty is tested, often through asking for favours and offering a sense of protection, in return for couriering illegal drugs and money across cities, towns and villages – known as ‘County Lines’.Sadly, these relationships soon turn violent. They often lead to those exploited being trapped through debt bondage, trafficking and isolation from family and friends – as well as physical, psychological and sexual abuse.

Lydia Patsalides, East Midlands Regional Manager for Crimestoppers, said: “We are very aware that drug gangs use violence and intimidation to coerce individuals into carrying out their dirty work. This level of exploitation often leads to people feeling they have become trapped and not knowing how to get out.“We are asking the public in Buxton and across Derbyshire to remain vigilant to the signs of grooming and the three grooming stages of ‘targeting, testing and trapping’. We are also appealing to everyone to help protect vulnerable members in our community from the harm caused by County Lines activity. Please tell our charity anonymously what you know and we’ll pass it on for you.”Detective Inspector Kane Martin, from Derbyshire Constabulary, said: "We are working closely with Crimestoppers and other partners to target the criminal gangs who exploit our communities and cause serious harm. We locally launched Project Unity last year to tackle the issues we’re facing in Buxton and this follows the long term ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ approach.“We need the public’s help to identify and report any signs of organised crime activity, such as cuckooing, exploitation and violence. You can do this safely and anonymously through Crimestoppers, who will pass on your information to us. Together, we can make Derbyshire a safer place for everyone."The campaign shares information in English, Albanian, Polish and Romanian and focuses on keeping communities’ safe places to live by empowering people to report information on crime 100% anonymously to Crimestoppers. The charity is independent from the police. They can also take crime information in over 150 different languages.

Any suspicions about serious violence, organised drug gangs and weapons can be passed to Crimestoppers 100% anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 at any time or by completing a secure online form here. Alternatively, young people can visit Fearless.org where more can be learnt about the warning signs of County Lines activity.

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Fearless offers young people non-judgemental advice so they can make informed decisions about lifestyle choices and realise that they have an alternative option when reporting crime.