Vicious drug gangs are recruiting vulnerable young people into their criminal operations by targeting them online and in the street.
Merseyside Police is working in collaboration with a number of different partners to stamp out the exploitation of young people by organised crime groups (OCG). The force has warned that gang members are targeting vulnerable children both out on the streets and online, through social media platforms including Instagram and Snapchat.
Jimmy Belmar, Merseyside Police's serious and organised crime community coordinator, told the ECHO: "Anywhere where there is a sign of vulnerability, that's where our crime groups get their clutches. Young people are vulnerable by their age and by their experiences.
READ MORE: Thomas Cashman jailed for life with minimum term of 42 years for Olivia's murder
"Schools and care homes are big recruitment targets for our crime groups, but it can happen anywhere. We are seeing more and more of a risk of young children being left unsupervised on their devices at home – it becomes a breeding ground for recruitment. Any child is vulnerable to be targeted and it can happen anywhere."
One of Merseyside Police's partnerships sees the force with Everton in the Community (EITC). The ECHO was invited by EITC to witness the collaborative Trainee Detective programme. The unique idea, which has been in place for four years, sees teenagers investigate a "knife crime incident" to equip them to recognise the signs of criminal exploitation.
Carly Wheeler, EITC Inspires Programme Manager, said: "The programme helps young people develop a relationship and respect for the community and the police. Once they've established that, it's easier for the police to carry on and go about their work. There might be a culture where the young people don't want to communicate with the police, so this breaks that barrier down."
Ms Wheeler said the programme allows the children to safeguard themselves and understand where to go if they need help. She told the ECHO: "It's hard to protect young people within the timeframe of school and community hours. People who are grooming young children have the accessibility of the internet, so we have to put educational sessions on so young people are aware of the dangers to look out for when we're not there.
"There are gangs grooming children out on the streets, but the internet and social media plays a massive part in this as well." Ms Wheeler added OCGs are even targeting primary school children so early prevention and education work is vital to ensure "young people know who to talk to".
The work is also important in Merseyside Police's Clear, Hold, Build strategy. The Home Office-funded project sees Merseyside Police work with community partners to disrupt and deter OCG activity. Merseyside has the second most County Lines operations in the country behind the Metropolitan Police.
Merseyside Police's Operation Venetic, which targets County Lines and EncroChat crime, has resulted in over 200 arrests and the seizure of nearly £2m in cash. Deputy Chief Constable Chris Green told the ECHO County Lines sees "vulnerable young people do the dirty work".
He added: "We want to obliterate organised crime so the community can hold their area and build back community cohesion to the point where it becomes so resilient criminals can't get a foothold."
Mr Belmar told the ECHO: "When you look at the hold strategy, the hold is all about stopping other crime groups moving into a space after a previous crime group has been taken out. The way to do that is to prevent young people getting involved in gangs, so hopefully this programme will help impact that.
"The young people will also see the positive partnership with the police and they'll see the police as a good thing. The police work hard to investigate the crimes that take place around Merseyside and hopefully they can see that and work with us."
You can find Merseyside Police's advice on how to notice the warning signs of County Lines exploitation here.
READ NEXT:
Thomas Cashman continued shooting even after hearing 'terrifying screams'
Armed police surround road as Thomas Cashman arrives in court ahead of sentencing
Olivia Pratt-Korbel's kind and caring nature shown by selfless act she was planning
'All I want is my baby back': Olivia Pratt-Korbel's dad's heartbreaking words as killer sentenced
Thomas Cashman not appearing in court for his sentencing