Bridging the Gap between law enforcement and academics

On 5 March ARU hosted the symposium Bridging the Gap: Collaborative Approaches to Tackle Exploitation and County Lines, bringing together leading professionals to address one of the most pressing criminal challenges in the UK.

Delivered in partnership with ERSOU and the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), the event saw law enforcement specialists, academics, policymakers, and frontline practitioners explore multi-agency strategies to combat county lines drug trafficking and the criminal exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

The symposium featured a series of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive breakout sessions, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among experts tackling these complex issues.

Among the distinguished speakers were David Way, High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, who discussed modern slavery and its links to county lines, and Professor John Pitts, an expert in youth justice, who explored interventions to address exploitation at a street level.

One of the most impactful moments of the symposium was a lived experience panel discussion, where a mother and her son bravely shared their personal experiences of child criminal exploitation (CCE). Their testimony reinforced the urgent need for victim-centred safeguarding strategies and multi-agency interventions.

The symposium also showcased innovative intervention tools, including Gamechanger VR, an award-winning immersive learning programme designed to educate young people on the dangers of county lines.

A significant focus was placed on the hidden impact of county lines within prisons, with experts from HMPPS and ERSOU’s Prison Intelligence Unit discussing how criminal networks operate inside the justice system and strategies for disrupting exploitation behind bars.

The symposium received widespread praise from participants across multiple sectors, with Julian Hosking, Senior Strategic & Operations Delivery Manager at HMPPS, describing the event as “amazing” and saying it “strengthened my passion to support those caught in county lines.”

Detective Inspector Puneet Netar, ERSOU Prisons & Lifetime Offender Management, noted that there was “a real buzz when people were leaving the university, something I have not felt before after attending a police event.”

Detective Inspector Kelly Gray, ERSOU County Lines Coordinator and HMPPS National County Lines Lead, emphasised the importance of collaboration across sectors:

“This symposium has demonstrated the power of multi-agency working in tackling county lines and exploitation. By bringing together professionals from different fields, we are not just discussing challenges but actively shaping policies and frontline practices that will make a real difference.”

With the overwhelming success of Bridging the Gap 2025, discussions are already underway for future symposiums and research partnerships to continue the vital work of protecting vulnerable individuals and dismantling criminal networks.