When you think of organised crime gangs it might sound like something from a film, but in reality one could be operating near you.
In law, an organised crime gang, or serious organised crime gang, describes a group of as little as three people working together to carry out criminal activity.
This could be things like drug dealing, using weapons and violence, cyber crime, child exploitation and human trafficking.
Our community safety team works in partnership with local police teams to share what we know about criminal gangs in our communities.
We deal with incidents where police have carried out search warrants on our properties and found large amounts of things like cash, drugs and weapons. In some cases, vulnerable customers become involved, having been groomed or cuckooed – which means gang members have taken advantage of them and are using their home for illegal activity.
Young and vulnerable people are frequently targeted and exploited into moving around drugs, money and weapons. This is what is known as ‘county lines’. Once a young person is dependent on a gang, they are pressured into criminal activities, often with threats of violence and blackmail towards them and their families.
Involvement in criminal activity breaks your tenancy agreement with us and means you could lose your home. An example of this is a recent case where we had reports of suspected drug-related activity in a female customer’s home. We shared this information with the police, and when the customer was stopped and searched she was found to be in possession of a large quantity of cash and firearms. This not only led to a lengthy prison sentence, but we were able to take possession of the property.
We are committed to keeping our communities safe and free from criminal and anti-social behaviour. You can contact us or the police any time if you have information or concerns about this kind of activity near you. Search ‘reporting ASB’ on our website or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
