Going Country: Tackling the Continuing Rise of County Lines Gangs and Supporting Victims

Matt Parr was appointed as Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary in August 2016. Brought up in London, he now lives in the West Country. He has responsibility for forces based in the capital, the national special forces as well as those in Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories. In addition, he is temporarily overseeing several Police and Fire & Rescue Services within the north.

His background is in the Royal Navy, which he joined straight from Durham University. A submariner by specialisation, he has also commanded above the waves and ashore.

Much of his career was spent at sea; but among his shore appointments he was responsible for the Navy’s inspection regime and also led a Ministry of Defence-wide team conducting studies for ministers. As a Rear-Admiral he was a member of the Navy Board. He was head of the Submarine Service and was the Navy’s Director of Operations. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2013.

Joseph Russo is the Founder of The Enthusiasm Trust, a charity that supports disadvantaged young people who are most at risk of becoming involved in anti-social, violent and criminal behaviour, including gang associated young people. Enthusiasm is recognised by the government as an example of best practice in youth work and was cited in the Home Office’s Serious Violence Strategy (April 2018).  Enthusiasm has also received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of the work the organisation does with young people in the local community who are most at risk of offending and social exclusion. 

Joseph has over 25 years of experience of youth work and specialises in working with gang associated young people. Joseph is an accredited peer reviewer for the Home Office’s Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation team and has spoken extensively in the area of criminal justice at events up and down the country, including national conferences for the Youth Justice Board, National Working Group, Resolve ASB and Westminster Briefing, as well as guest lecturing at the University of Derby and Nottingham Trent University.   Joseph also delivers training and consultancy to frontline practitioners and strategic leaders.

Kirsten is the Prepare lead within the County Line coordination Centre.  

As the prepare lead she has the responsibility for the Movement and Transport portfolio. As we are all aware, the transient nature of the County Lines drugs ‘business’ model and the ease of movement throughout the country of both drugs and people, makes County Lines difficult for law enforcement to disrupt.  Her work within this portfolio is to forge links with transport providers to raise awareness and increase the flow of intelligence to in order that we can identify disruption opportunities and enrich the national picture. Currently Kirsten is working with national bus companies, rail operators, taxi companies, national car hire companies and food delivery providers. They are working collaboratively to streamline access to the companies for law enforcement and to work together on disruption operations.  

Kirsten is also the lead for ANPR, working with the Home office innovation team and the NPCC lead. This home office team have devised a bespoke County Lines ANPR training package which has been rolled out by the NPCC nationally. 

Kirsten has 30 years police service with Northumbria Police specialising in serious and organised crime and covert policing.

Sherry Peck is Chief Executive at Safer London. The only charity working with young Londoners and their families with a presence in every London borough. She has extensive experience at a senior level in the commercial, statutory and charity sector, with over 25 years’ experience in the delivery, commissioning and management of services for children and young people. Her experience is wide ranging and includes work as a Director at The Children’s Society and Head of Commissioning in a number of Local Authorities.  She is passionate about empowering and enabling young Londoners and ensuring they are at the heart of developing solutions to live safe and successful lives.  

Caleb began youth work informally at the age of 16, working with challenging young people who needed diversionary activities and personal support. He has a keen focus on preventing young people from entering the criminal justice system, youth violence and exploitation. Over his practise in youth work he has delivered front line youth work provision, in neighbourhoods that feature deprivation. Central to enabling change, he has designed and galvanised young people’s voices to leverage action from key stakeholders (wide and varied). This in turn has enabled organisations to work more effectively together, in a public health approach towards child centred outcomes. Part of solutions to this agenda is finding or raising community individuals and voluntary sector organisations who are assets. He has advocated and supported such groups as vehicles who can co-create and co-deliver long-term solutions to reducing youth violence and exploitation. He has a degree in Youth and Community Studies, however his personal expertise are shaped through mentoring of high risk individuals involved in gangs and running youth clubs. Caleb has worked closely with a range of stakeholders including The Home Office, VRU's, Police Forces, Public Health, Safeguarding Hubs, Educational leads, Voluntary Sector Organisations and Community Leads (including grass roots). He has recently joined the YEF, in a new humbling endeavour and will utilise his skills in a national role to prevent young people from getting caught up in crime and violence.  

Liam Jack is a youth mentor at the Enthusiasm Trust, an award winning charity that supports disadvantaged young people across the East Midlands, including those most at risk of Child Criminal Exploitation and gang association.  Liam has been working as a youth mentor for 2 years.  Previously, he volunteered for 6 months supporting the youth club. 

As Head of the NCAs National Targeting Centre Paul leads a number of teams and capabilities targeting a range of Serious Organised Crime Threats. This includes the National Drugs Targeting Centre, the National Firearms Targeting Centre, and the NCAs dedicated County Lines team.

Paul joined the NCA from West Midlands Police where he was previously Head of Intelligence in the Regional Organised Crime Unit. He has previously worked in Covert Policing, Counter Terrorism and Offender Management plus a range of frontline operational policing roles.

Paul is an advocate of Evidence Based Policing and holds an MSc in Police Leadership and Management from Warwick Business School. He is also an  experienced Hostage and Crisis Negotiator. Paul lives in  
Birmingham where in his free time he enjoys running and playing very amateur guitar.  

Nathan is the CEO of LifeLine Projects, an East London based charity dedicated to finding solutions that positively impact the lives of individuals and influence the systems that govern us. Nathan has worked at LifeLine since 2003 and has developed key relationships with schools across East London providing a pastoral partnership in the form of mentoring, alternative provision and youth leadership programmes.

Nathan also developed and spearheads LifeLine’s award-winning Vision, Identity and Purpose (VIP) Framework, an approach to working with young people, employment seekers, volunteers and parents.

Prior to this he worked for the local Children’s Fund as a Community Liaison Officer. He continues to support youth organisations by providing education and mentoring advice and training. Nathan sits on the Health and Wellbeing Board, The Children’s Partnership and is a governor of a local secondary school.  He continues to work with young people on a voluntary basis in addition to his day job to ensure that policy and practice remain connected.

Dr Romana Farooq is a Principal Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead in Forensic CAMHS and the Children’s Secure Estate in the North East. She was awarded the British Psychological Society Early Career Award for outstanding contributions to Clinical Psychology in respect of her work with children and young people subject to sexual exploitation. She received this award within 3 years post qualification. Romana specialises in working with children, young people and their families who are subject to human rights violations, child exploitation, trafficking, modern day slavery, forced criminality and gangs. Romana has been involved in shaping, developing and delivering services for children and young people subject to sexual exploitation, sexual violence or displaying harmful sexual behaviour. She has developed a keen interest and passion for working with diverse communities and speaks regularly on inclusivity and the importance of inclusive leadership. She has spent over 10 years working with grassroots communities, marginalised groups and disenfranchised youth. She also provides organisational consultancy, development and change in respect of working with complex children and young people. She currently is an Expert Member of the Child Exploitation Parliamentary Advisory Group in the House of Commons.