Interviews

Counter terror call

by Mark Rowe

Countering terrorism has for too long been thought of as the preserve of the police, security agencies and government. That is according to ACPO’s National Policing Lead for Counter-Terrorism, Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, as the UK’s first preventing terrorism awareness week began. AC Mark Rowley called for people and businesses to be prepared to play their part.

He said: “The danger posed by violent extremists has evolved. They are no longer a problem solely stemming from countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, far away in the minds of the public. Now, they are home grown, in our communities; radicalised by images and messages they read on social media and prepared to kill for their cause. The tragic murder of Lee Rigby last year was a stark warning to us all about how real and local the threat is.

“Police officers and our partners are continuing to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to protect the UK from a terrorist attack. So far this year, we have disrupted several attack plots and made 271 arrests following counter-terrorism investigations but the eyes and ears of law enforcement and other agencies alone cannot combat the threat.”

The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST, focuses on four P’s; pursue, prevent, protect and prepare. Most of the publicity around terrorism is based on ‘pursue’ and ‘prevent’, as these involve arrests, the disrupting of actual attack plots and turning people away from extremism. AC Rowley is keen to stress that we can all do more to ‘protect’ and ‘prepare’. The December 2014 print issue of Professional Security magazine covers the latest City of London patrolling under Project Servator, pictured, seeking to disrupt and deter hostile reconnaissance and crime in general.

Rowley said: “We don’t want to scare people but we do want them to understand the threat and be vigilant to things that are out of place or suspicious and report it to the police. We need businesses to check that their security measures are effective and train their staff to detect potential threats and, if necessary, respond to an attack.

“Experience shows us that terrorists target busy, well-populated places to ensure that attacks have a maximum impact. Businesses, particularly those in crowded places, have an invaluable role to play in our fight against terrorists, violent extremists and other criminals. Their staff are often the first people to spot signs that something is wrong.”

The police regularly hold security events with businesses; and the Metropolitan Police alone gave 29 presentations during 2013/14. This week police will be briefing over 6000 people at over 80 venues across the UK. Events will then continue into 2015. The awareness week is focusing on five areas where police, businesses and the public can prevent terrorism: vigilance in crowded places and transport hubs, preventing violent extremism, cutting off terrorist financing, and preventing access to tools that terrorists need to operate.

Since the terror threat level increased on August 29 reports of suspicious behaviour have nearly doubled, police report. This is, say police, a result of reporting by the public. AC Rowley calls for more people to have the confidence to report: “Please tell us if you know or suspect something; your information could save lives. We will deal with information passed to us carefully and respond sensitively and proportionately.”

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