The UK’s most senior counter terrorism officer has praised the
public’s willingness
to ACT in response to the
unprecedented terrorist threat, revealing that the number of
attacks foiled since March 2017 has risen to 18.
The head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner
Neil Basu, believes that the public are playing a crucial role in
helping police and the security services disrupt terrorist
activity, with more than 22% of all reports from the public
producing intelligence which is helpful to police.
Today, Wednesday 23 January 2018, Counter Terrorism Policing are
once again highlighting the importance of communities in the UK’s
fight against terrorism by launching a new public information
campaign, which will be shown exclusively in UK cinemas.
The blockbuster sequel to last year’s ‘Communities Defeat
Terrorism’ campaign will feature a new 60-second film based on
real-life foiled plots, which will show examples of
terrorist-related suspicious activity and behaviour, as well as
attack planning methodology.
Airing across 120 cinemas nationwide for the next eight weeks,
the film will encourage people to report suspicious behaviour and
activity through www.gov.uk/ACT and the
confidential hotline - 0800 789 321.
Assistant Commissioner of Specialist Operations (ACSO),
Neil Basu, said: “Thankfully, we did not see the horrors
of 2017 repeated last year, but we should not be complacent
enough to think the terrorist threat has diminished – the UK
threat level remains at SEVERE meaning an attack is highly
likely.
“Counter Terrorism Policing officers are currently running more
than 700 live investigations nationwide, while crucial
intelligence from the public has helped police and the security
services prevent 18 terror attacks in just under two years.
“We have been emphasising for some time that communities defeat
terrorism, and the fact that more and more reports from the
public provide information that is useful to our officers
demonstrates this.
“Despite this increasing support, I know some people are still
reluctant to speak to us. To them I say, reporting your concerns
to us won’t ruin lives, but it might save them.”
Data analysed by Counter Terrorism Policing indicates that the
public are consistently providing information which is relevant
to police.
These figures demonstrate the importance of Counter Terrorism
Policing’s work to inform the public about terrorist attack
planning methodology, so if you are still unsure about how or
what to report to police then please visit www.counterterrorism.police.uk for
more information.
“Like other criminals, terrorists need to plan and that creates
opportunities for police and the security services to discover
and stop these attacks before they happen” says ACSO
Basu.
“But we need your help to exploit these
opportunities, so if you see or hear something unusual or
suspicious trust your instincts
and ACT by reporting it in
confidence by phone or online.
“That could be someone buying or storing chemicals, fertilisers
or gas cylinders for no obvious reasons, or receiving deliveries
for unusual items, it could be someone embracing extremist
ideology, or searching for such material online.
“This new film has been made to try and help people understand
recent terrorist attack-planning methods, but also to demonstrate
that each report from the public can be one vital piece of a much
larger picture.
“The important thing for people to remember is that no report is
a waste of our time, trust your instincts and tell us if
something doesn’t feel right.”
Home Secretary added: “The threat from
terrorism is one of the starkest we face and we have all seen the
horrific consequences of a terrorist incident.
“With the support of the public, our police and intelligence
agencies work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.
We all have a role to play in confronting those who seek to
do us harm.
“Life really doesn’t have a rewind button so, if something
doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and report any
suspicious activity or behaviour as soon as you can.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner
Neil Basu, will be available for interview from Millbank Studio,
London, between 7am and 9am on Wednesday 23 January 2019. To book
an interview slot call CTP Media Manager Chris Taylor on 07785
417 239.
The new cinema advertising film can be downloaded here:
https://wetransfer.com/downloads/3262886c960f5b1865e8d724147e310520190121142333/b787804ffd804c1e6bf3ec72de26122620190121142333/cafab0
And viewed on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX6x1HuOWeU
Data analysed by Counter Terrorism Policing indicates that the
public are consistently providing information which is relevant
to police.
In 2017, record numbers reported suspicious behaviour and
activity - more than 31000 – with around 6600 (21.2%)
subsequently recorded as intelligence.
In 2018, of the 13093 reports to police a total of 2850 (22%)
resulted in information deemed useful to our investigations.
