From charging children to safeguarding them: My reflective journey through the county lines landscape

3rd April 2026Rob Glassborow, Lecturer, Leeds Trinity University

Former British Transport Police officer Rob Glassborow was a member of the County Lines Task Force launched in 2019, which adopted an approach of focusing on juveniles exploited by drug gangs as offenders rather than victims; now a lecturer in policing at Leeds Trinity University, he admits to being “in awe” of how county lines policing has become a specialist area with a clear safeguarding mission, and points to the increased knowledge and expertise as an example of the success of professionalising policing.

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From charging children to safeguarding them: My reflective journey through the county lines landscape

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