County Schools Challenge- Gang information

Information by permission of the Northants Police

Different Types of Gangs
Criminal Gangs (Organised Criminal Group)
1) Purpose to commit serious crime
2) Group of people working together to plan/commit crime
3) Organised (e.g. planned)

Street Gangs
1) Street-based groups of young people
2) Engaged in criminal activity and violence
3) May identify with territorial location
4) May be in conflict with other gangs

Serious Crime
1) Violence, and/or Major financial gain
2) Crime with prison sentence of minimum three years

“Criminal exploitation is also known as 'county lines' and is when gangs and organised crime networks groom and exploit children to sell drugs. Often these children are made to travel across counties, and they use dedicated mobile phone 'lines' to supply drugs.”

Hook-Flip-Trap: The stages of being exploited by gangs!

Hook- You get involved, you feel good and think you belong
Make you feel wanted, gives you gifts, will praise you, gives you a sense of family/belonging, offer you protection, will ask you favours, will ask you to keep secrets, you may be asked to commit low level crimes.

Flip- Relationship changes, threats and violence
Threatening behaviour, involvement in class A drugs (making or running), blackmail – including ‘fake’ robbery to create debt.

Trap- Gang thinks you are now caught in their gang
Debt bondage, gang member may hook/flip you again, you can get out – you are NOT trapped for ever