What is Cuckooing?
Cuckooing is a practice where criminals take over a person’s home and use the property to facilitate exploitation. It takes the name from cuckoos who take over the nests of other birds.
There are different types of cuckooing:
- Using the property to deal, store or take drugs
- Using the property to sex work
- Taking over the property as a place for them to live
- Taking over the property to financially abuse the tenant
The most common form of cuckooing is where drug dealers take over a person’s home and use it to store or distribute drugs.
Spot the signs of Cuckooing
- Increase in people visiting the property during the day and night
- Evidence of drug use in public areas
- Increase in noise nuisance or anti-social behaviour at the property
- Damage to doors or secure doors being propped open
- Increase of cars or bikes outside the property
- You haven't seen the resident recently
- Change in dress
- Unexplained injuries
If you have concerns someone is being cuckooed, you can report it to:
Bedfordshire Police on 101 in a non-emergency or 999 in an emergency or online at www.bedfordshire.police.uk/report
Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org - 100% anonymous
If you would like more information regarding cuckooing you can email community.safety@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
