Police urge reporting of child exploitation concerns
The call follows a week of action against County Lines drug gangs where 24 people were safeguarded
Police in Wiltshire are urging us to be on the lookout for signs that young people are being exploited by county lines drug gangs.
It follows a week of action as part of Operation Scorpion, where forces across the country aim to disrupt criminal activity and protect people being exploited.
The week saw 26 people arrested in the county, with £380,000 worth of drugs seized by officers.
Assistant Chief Constable, Deb Smith, is calling for the public to aid the Force in its continued efforts to tackle drug crime.
She told us children being exploited can have their lives impacted in a huge way.
"Often they'll start running, they'll be offered presents, they'll be offered gifts, they'll be offered cash, perhaps things that they don't get from their own family lives," ACC Smith said. "Often these young people come from troubled families, chaotic lives. So actually the offer of some money or the latest iPhone or the latest pair of trainers can be really, really quite attractive."
She added that once young people are in the county lines system, it can be very difficult for them to escape it.
Parents and family members are also encouraged to look out for signs of behaviour changing too, with ACC Smith saying young people could become erratic, withdrawn, abusive, aggressive or isolated.
"If you are concerned, contact the police," she urged. "Contact us either online or on 101 reporting any concerns, because we rely on information and intelligence from our communities so that we can seek to safeguard vulnerable people, but also target the perpetrators who are actually committing the crime."
During the week of action, officers visited schools to educate young people on County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), deliver 22 talks in education venues, speaking to almost 1,000 students about the risks and warning signs.
Teams also visited hotels to raise awareness among staff of CCE, how to spot signs and the actions to take. They visited 26 hotels, with 11 failing the checks.
We can report a crime here.