Devon & Cornwall Police in Plymouth have used profits seized from criminals to fund educational performances about child criminal exploitation and drug trafficking.
The neighbourhood police team in Plymouth North Sector have secured £1,200 from the Proceeds of Crime Fund (POCA) to help fund three performances hosted by school theatre group, Narrative Alchemy. The 40 minute performances were followed by a 15 minute question and answer sessions aimed to educate students about county lines, raising awareness of the signs of exploitation, how it impacts young people and what to do if students find themselves in that situation.
County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups (OCGs) use phone lines to move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas. They exploit vulnerable people, including children and those with mental health or addiction issues, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs.
Inspector Jon Manning, who heads up neighbourhood police officers in the North of Plymouth, said: “This is such an important message to share far and wide. We know young people, who are of secondary school age, can be targeted by criminals appearing to be a ‘friend’, asking them to sell drugs or commit crime in return for money or gifts. This is exploitation. By raising awareness of county lines we can continue to educate young people about how to spot the signs and not become a victim of these crimes. Following these assemblies, nearly 800 students between the ages of 11 and 18 will have seen the performance and will know more about county lines and what support is available if they need it.”
We are delighted that the POCA has been able to support us to bring Narrative Alchemy into Sir John Hunt. We are proud of the support that we provide to our students, and are grateful for this opportunity to enable them all to learn about the process of criminal exploitation through this fantastic performance. It is all too easy for a young person to be unwittingly drawn into criminal activity and this theatre production has certainly alerted our students to some of the dangers they may face from OCGs. Since the production, so many staff have confirmed how well presented the play was and how the students have reported back to them that they thought it was a really important message and very easy to understand.
We would like to thank Devon and Cornwall Police and Narrative Alchemy theatre group for providing this opportunity to our students.
Please see attached link of the BBC press release
here.
Mr Marner
Assistant Principal
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