#SeeTheSigns campaign
Who can be targeted by criminal gangs, and how do they target our children?
The national picture on county lines continues to develop but there are recorded cases of:
- children as young as 12 years old being exploited or moved by gangs to courier drugs out of their local area; 15-16 years is the most common age range
- both males and females being exploited
- white British children being targeted because gangs perceive they are more likely to evade police detection, however a person of any ethnicity or nationality may be exploited
- the use of social media to make initial contact with children and young people
Isn’t this just happening in big cities?
This is happening across our city, from Southend to Leigh, to Shoeburyness. The children involved come from a variety of backgrounds and places in the borough. They could be your neighbour, or someone you know or have known.
To alert the public to this activity, which is going on in all areas of the borough (and indeed nationally), Southend-on-Sea City Council has once again teamed up with Essex Police, to produce a campaign to help disrupt local drugs and county lines activity.
#MerryMuletide is a hard-hitting follow-up campaign to the recent #SeeTheSigns campaign, with a message that alerts recreational drug users to the catastrophic consequences their drug taking is having on the lives of local children.
We are asking people to understand where drugs come from, and to think twice if they are tempted to buy or take recreational drugs.
Can you help?
If you wish to tell us something then you can contact us on the See The Signs email address or anonymously through the See The Signs website. We have experienced professionals working with children and adults across the city, to help remove them from this situation. If you know of anyone who may be being exploited by criminal gangs, or being forced to sell drugs, then please tell us. We can help them. We treat all children as victims first. Please contact us today.
Make sure you know how to #SeeTheSigns