County Lines

Spicer, Jack

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-54193-4_2

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…This debate was initially focused on the figure of the feminised sex worker -the immigrant woman from the Global South or Eastern Europe -who had been deceived and trafficked across borders for purposes of sexual exploitation by organised criminal networks. 81 Spicer has suggested that the initial connection between 'county lines' and 'modern slavery' was made by law enforcement officials who saw the legislation as an opportunity to prosecute drug dealers for crimes other than drugs offending which were said to have an insufficient deterrent effect 82 (another Achilles heel tactic?). Prosecuting these same offenders for 'human trafficking' charges was believed to carry a higher moral stigma and potentially more severe punishment.…”

Section: From 'County Lines' To 'Modern Slavery'mentioning

confidence: 99%

‘County lines’: racism, safeguarding and statecraft in Britain

Koch,

Williams,

Wroe

2023

Race & Class

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Government policies relating to dealers in ‘county lines’ drugs trafficking cases have been welcomed as a departure from punitive approaches to drugs and ‘gang’ policing, in that those on the bottom rung of the drugs economy of heroin and crack cocaine are no longer treated as criminals but as potential victims and ‘modern slaves’ in need of protection. However, our research suggests not so much a radical break with previous modes of policing as that the term ‘county lines’ emerged as a logical extension of the government’s racist and classist language surrounding ‘gangs’, knife crime and youth violence. Policies implemented in the name of safeguarding the vulnerable also act as a gateway for criminalisation not just under drugs laws but also modern slavery legislation. The government’s discovery of, and responses to, ‘county lines’ hinge on a moral crisis in the making, which ultimately deepens the state’s pre-emptive and violent criminalisation of the ‘Black criminal other’ at a time of deep political crisis.

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Section: From 'County Lines' To 'Modern Slavery'mentioning

confidence: 99%