The Home Office’s quarterly release of statistics relating to
the police’s use of powers under the Terrorism Act 2000
revealed that there were a total of 280 counter
terrorism-related arrests in the year to December 2019, a
decrease of 1% on the previous calendar year.
This is actually the lowest number of arrests in a calendar
year for the last six, although Counter Terrorism Policing’s
Senior National Coordinator, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean
Haydon, believes the spike in arrests in the final three months
of the 2019 demonstrates that the tide can change rapidly and
that the public must remain vigilant.
“As we have seen in the last few months, attacks can happen
anywhere and at any time without warning,” he said.
“Today’s figures show that the gradual decline in CT-related
arrests has continued since 2018, but despite this - and the
reduction in the threat level from Severe to Substantial - the
attacks in Fishmongers Hall and Streatham demonstrate that we
cannot allow ourselves to think this threat has
diminished.
“With 3000 or so subjects of interest currently on our radar
and more convicted terrorists soon due to be released from
prison, we simply cannot watch all of them, all the time.
“When my colleagues and I tell you that ‘Communities defeat
terrorism’ it is not just a catchphrase. We know from
experience that public information and action helps saves
lives and leads to the significant arrests detailed in these
statistics.
“I would urge everyone to
remain vigilant and ACT if you see
anything suspicious by reporting it to us confidentially
via gov.uk/ACT or by
calling 0800 789 321. In an emergency, always
dial 999.”
Of the 280 arrests 87 (31%) resulted in a charge, of which 65
were charged with terrorism-related offences. There were also
23 terrorism-related convictions in the same time period.
But Deputy Assistant Commissioner Haydon also warned that the
only way to reduce the number of terrorists in the long term
wasn’t by the actions of officers making arrests, but the
Prevent practitioners around the country doing their best to
protect vulnerable people from radicalisation.
“Our officers will always step in to protect the public from
those who wish to harm us, but we need to stop them getting to
that point in the first place,” he said.
“We need people to trust their instincts and to trust us with
that information, and not just signs of suspicious activity or
behaviour. We need your help to stop vulnerable people from
being drawn down the path that leads to the awful violence we
have seen recently.
“Early intervention, through the Prevent programme,
is absolutely key. We need families, friends, colleagues and
local communities to recognise that early intervention is not
ruining someone’s life but saving it, and potentially that of
others too.”
To learn more about how you can contribute to the UK’s fight
against terrorism visit gov.uk/ACT
The full statistics published on the Home Office website can be
found here.
