Evaluation of the County Lines Programme
This report presents the findings from the impact evaluation of the County Lines Programme conducted by the London School of Economics.
Applies to England and Wales
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The County Lines Programme aims to tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation. The Home Office commissioned the London School of Economics to independently assess the impact of the programme on a range of crime types, primarily serious violence.
The evaluation found that in the 4 funded taskforce areas, the programme led to a reduction in hospital admissions for both drug misuse and weapon-related injuries (mainly due to fewer hospitalisations due to stabbings). However, police-recorded violent crime rose over the same period, likely due to better reporting and more police activity in those areas.
The evaluation also found limited spillover effects from the programme in other, non-funded force areas, which supports the assessment that the County Lines model is becoming more localised to exporter force areas.