What is Counter Terrorism Policing?

Counter Terrorism Policing is a network of police forces and local authority agencies around the United Kingdom. The network represents a nationwide collaboration amongst UK local authority agencies and police forces to deter, prevent, investigate, and stop threats of terrorism throughout the country.

UK police forces collaborate with the UK intelligence community to protect the public from potential terrorist threats. This collaboration involves a lot of information sharing between various police and intelligence agencies across the country. Intelligence agencies like MI5 and the Crown Protection Service are also involved in this collaborative national security effort.

Counter Terrorism Policing has five primary objectives. They are as follows:

1) Prevent

Protect duty states that one of the best ways to stop potential terrorism is to prevent vulnerable people from getting involved with extremist organisations and other entities that promote extremist ideologies. Counter Terrorism Policing works with local communities and police authorities to identify these people and create solutions to help them before they become a terrorist risk that's why Martyn’s Law is created.

2) Pursue

Counter Terrorism Policing works to identify and pursue terrorists and terrorist threats throughout the country. The UK police network has security professionals and specialist officers ready to investigate and pursue any individual deemed an active terrorist threat to the public. Before the implementation of Martyn’s Law, thousands of people interest have already been investigated for possible links to terrorism.

3) Protect

Counter Terrorism Security Advisors collaborate with local emergency services and authorities to strengthen security measures at businesses and public places. And if a particular UK area is under an active terrorist threat, the Counter Terrorism Security network will deploy additional police officers to this location to protect the public there.

You’ll often see more police officers patrolling crowded areas like sports stadiums, shopping centres, entertainment venues, music concerts, etc. Terrorists love targeting crowded locations because they can hurt more people that way. The Counter Terrorism Security network takes every possible measure to protect the people at these venues from potential terrorist attacks.

4) Prepare

It is impossible to prevent all terrorist attacks. Fortunately, Counter Terrorism Security is prepared for terrorist attacks because the organisation regularly conducts training exercises and tests various counter terrorism measures to determine the most effective ones. They perform these tests and exercises in collaboration with their national and local authority partners.

5) Project Servator

Project Servator is a unique national police tactic aimed at deterring and disrupting criminal activity and crime against the public. This tactic depends on local businesses and citizens of their communities to report crime and suspicious activities to their local police agencies.

The police share this information with Counter Terrorism Units throughout the country to assist with terrorism investigations. Project Servator has successfully prevented numerous terrorist attacks because of this collaborative effort between the public and the police.

Learn More

Do you have questions on how Counter Terrorism Policing can help protect your business or public facility? Contact the professionals of Athena Security Solutions at 0800 020 6200 or email us at info@athenasecuritysolutions.co.uk for more information. To know more about UK Protect Duty see here.