Haringey Council is set to launch a Cuckooing Panel, a multi-agency initiative designed to combat drug exploitation in the borough. The panel aims to safeguard vulnerable individuals who are victims of cuckooing, a practice where drug dealers take over a person's home to use it as a base for their criminal activities.
The decision to launch the panel was discussed at the Community Safety Partnership meeting on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, where members reviewed the partnership's statutory responsibilities, including substance misuse. The Public Reports Pack stated that the partnership was successfully contributing to the establishment and coordination of the panel.
The panel aims to strengthen strategic responses to exploitation and safeguard vulnerable individuals. It will also facilitate regular hotspot meetings involving key stakeholders, including the ASB Team, BUBIC, The Grove, HAGA, and the Rough Sleeping Team. These sessions are intended to strengthen collaborative working, improve intelligence sharing, and support targeted interventions in high-risk areas.
The initiative has already secured funding from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to support the delivery of the cuckooing programme. This funding will enable the recruitment of two dedicated cuckooing officers to address exploitation linked to drug-related harm.
Priority areas for the next quarter include launching and facilitating the Cuckooing Panel and introducing the dedicated Cuckooing Officers. The officers will enhance frontline capacity to identify, respond to, and disrupt cuckooing activity across priority locations.
The Community Safety Partnership also discussed the Haringey Youth Justice Plan 2024 – 2027 – Year 1 review, and updates on anti-social behaviour, hate crime, and violence against women and girls. These discussions are part of the partnership's ongoing efforts to address crime and improve community safety in Haringey.
