Much like London it has seen a wave of knife crime in some housing estates. Driven by drugs, low income and a lot of gang culture.
I have heard from friends it is pretty "stabby" lately. The same is happening all over the world too. Australia has a lot of knife crime too - for the same reasons. People just can't control themselves and be even half decent humans.
Never heard of county lines. Sounds like something out of a movie.
Totally off-topic:
Colleagues have talked about a bar in Reading called "The Purple Turtle". It was near the Reading office for a company I worked at.
Sorry to hear these problems are on the rise in Australia. County lines, there was a film and have just found it here - County Lines https://g.co/kgs/fr7YhWf
I do know of the Purple Turtle, yep it’s down Gun Street (ironically) https://www.purpleturtlebar.com/ The Purple Turtle
Have never been though but our kids have.