County Lines

By: Jason Farrell

Narrated by: Paul Thornley

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

County Lines - the new breed of exploitation plaguing the streets of a town near you. 

If you've heard any news report on the upsurge in knife crime recently, you'll have heard the words 'county lines'. From the street slang that was once known as 'going country' - it sees powerful drugs gangs supplying outside of the capital through an underworld 'emerging markets enterprise', using children as young as 12 and vulnerable men and women to do their dirty work.

Teens whose bereaved relatives assume they led ordinary lives, who tell us they were 'good kids', suddenly end up stabbed to death with no seeming motive. At night, on a usually quiet suburban street, a massive knife fight erupts, and two kids end up on life support. Their parents tell the news they weren't in a gang.... What is really going on? 

Jason Farrell, Home Editor at Sky News, is the man with the inside story. In this fearless, hard-hitting account, Farell shares in terrifying detail the story of the county lines phenomenon through the words of gang members and their victims themselves as well as the police and the country's leading experts.

Through exclusive interviews and meticulous research, Farell paints a vivid picture of how this murky world operates. He reveals the devastating effects 'county lines' is having upon the UK...and beyond...and, most terrifying of all, why this new, sinister crime wave means nobody is safe.

©2020 Jason Farrell (P)2020 Bonnier Books UK

Good reporting

I was curious to understand the term County Lines and the background to much of the street crime reported in the U.K. press.

This book has some excellent reporting and drills down well into the business of drug crime. The author clearly has an animus towards Brexit and ‘austerity’ which crops up throughout. He explains that Brexit may make importation of drugs easier, whilst telling us the fruit imported via Rotterdam has been a source of drug shipments. He seems to believe Government should do more.

Maybe we should rethink our drugs policies and seek a greater accommodation of many of these mind altering substances, in the way we already have with alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. I didn’t hear much of this. But the willingness to bash the Government to constantly do more, more more became rather tedious in the end. .

Fascinating

A really informative look at the crisis of County lines from a wide range of points of view. Highly recommended

Every Single Adult & Teenager Needs To Hear This

As stated above every body should listen to this.

Despite being an ex front line response police officer who has dealt with many of the issues raised within this book, I have learnt so much. What I thought I knew was the tip of the ice berg and as I say that is with first hand experience.

Collectively the elements of this are horrendous in themselves but mixed together is a catastrophic cocktail.

The author delves deep into each factor and describes what he has learnt and seen in brilliant undiluted detail. He explains it through the eyes of the subjects, the runner, the dealer, the gang leader, the vulnerable person who has been taken advantage giving us a real insight into how prevalent this problem is.

As the uncle to a teenager and the father to a young child I feel more empowered to identify things that may have been overlooked previously (as I say despite my back ground)

Educate yourself with this.

Important subject

I’m very glad this book has been written as it’s long overdue. A small amount of the language in it is a bit much eg “confronting difficult children” and I find it a little sanitised - much more could be written about issues such as the vulnerable young people who have been cuckooed being criminalised, imprisoned and labelled forever with no ongoing support. How about that case in Wales where the autistic youth’s drug dealing support worker exploited the youth and gave false evidence in court which ended up in the incarceration of said innocent youth with learning disabilities. I could go on. The Children’s Commissioner did not noticeably improve any of this, and only pointed out the predicted obvious - harsh and draconian cuts targeting the most needy in society increase crime, violence, substance addiction and so on. We all knew this when the government decided to throw our lowest and non tax payers in the bin, which has been counterproductive to say the least.
No mention of the tax evading rich who are part of all the trafficking. Kind of passive aggressive eugenics.

But still, well worth a listen.

insightful

As a secondary school teacher, this was very insightful and gave me extra information to help my ability to safeguard my students.

The book is interesting, informative and well worth a listen for anyone working with young people or interested in the current youth culture.

One thing I can't help but think though... if the government legalised drugs, regulated them, taxed them etc then all this would stop.
As it says in the book, where there is demand there will always be supply. So why leave it to the violent gangs who are exploiting children?!

Eye opening

Fascinating dig into a world we try to deny. Everyone should listen, especially if you snort cocaine 'socially'

Page turner so to speak

Couldn’t put this down. Very well written with interesting content. A stark insight into a grisly reality.

Interesting but political.

The book starts off interesting and stays that way until half way through. Then, it becomes a political rant. It's a shame. I would like to have heard more of the stories of the individuals involved in County lines rather than what the politicians should do about it in an ideal world.
The performance was excellent and the right voice actor used, he did a great job.
I would recommend this book, for the interesting people involved in the story.

Ok

Very interesting read and quite shocking how the country has been taken by foreign criminals

Great insight into a lesser known society

This book really changed my perception of the drug industry, especially the chapter on the role the middle class plays. as the author points out, there will always be supply if there is demand.
An interesting read