A NEW approach to tackling county lines has put Cumbria in a "great place" as Cumbria Police sees significant improvement on the situation.

County lines is the name used to refer to drug dealing where organised crime groups used phone lines to move and supply drugs, it often exploits vulnerable people by recruiting them to distribute the drugs. 

The county - particularly the south - had "a significant problem" with this in 2020 and 2021.

However, a partnership between Cumbria Police and lived experience addiction support charity The Well Communities is helping to tackle the problem by taking a community based approach. 

Det Sgt Kev Milby said: "County lines has a significant impact on all communities. It is in every single town and city in this country and obviously there's a lot of negative press that goes with it.

"We didn't have that wrap around approach as to how we could support the people that are most vulnerable to being exploited and the people that are in the midst of addiction.

"And that was the last part of the jigsaw that we put in place because we realised we can't arrest our way out of a problem."

The scheme was initially piloted in south Cumbria in 2022 and was so successful in eliminating county lines in the area that it was extended to Carlisle in January 2024.

Support workers and the police work together on the ground to offer support to vulnerable people who may be targeted by organised crime groups.

This includes educating young people within school or making people feel more secure in their homes by installing spy holes, CCTV, and keychains.

David Higham, Chief Executive of The Well Communities, said: "We've never really seen this work done before, where we have a police sergeant and a lived experience Well Community staff member working together.

"That new approach in terms of policing these days is the best way that the whole community tackle crime together, not just try and police your way out of it, because that will never happen.

"We need to harness the community and together we will bring changes and make it a safer place to live for everyone."

The importance of playing a larger role in the community to reduce the impact of county lines cannot be overstated.

By helping people in the communities affected by county lines to tackle their addiction, The Well Comm there is a knock-on effect which encourages others to seek help. 

Cumbria Police is also able to gather intelligence whilst out and about but they can also see where county lines activity is taking place. 

Det Sgt Milby said: "It's a significant impact that's been made in a really short time. We're really lucky with the two people that we've put in post.

"It's about being boots on the ground and being out in the communities because, as well as the support and the wraparound bespoke model that we use, when we're out and about in the communities, we get behind people's front doors.

"We see what the problem is and we see how we can support them."