New West Yorkshire taskforce to tackle 'evil' county lines trade
The government said £1m would be spent on tackling the movement of drugs in and out of West Yorkshire, with an additional £300,000 spent on support for victims.The new unit, which will be set up within West Yorkshire Police, marks an expansion of the government's County Lines Programme, with similar teams already in place in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.A spokesperson said since July 2024, work by the taskforces had led to more than 1,200 line closures, with more than 2,000 arrests and 800 people charged.The funding for West Yorkshire will also see specialist services provided by Catch22 – a charity that supports young people and families exploited by county lines – extended to the region.
Sarah Jones, the temporary assistant chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, said: "The formation of a dedicated task force for West Yorkshire gives us an opportunity to build on the work we already do in tackling county lines crime head on, making an even greater positive impact."Our aim is clear – we will be relentless in our pursuit of those behind county lines by disrupting their illicit enterprises. We will safeguard victims, raise awareness of the dangers of county lines and continue to work with our partners to make our towns and villages stronger and safer."
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