Communities across the country, particularly Jewish and other
faith communities, will be supported by additional specialist
officers on the streets thanks to £5 million of new funding.
New funding will increase deployments under Project Servator, a
national policing tactic which disrupts criminal activity and
protects communities through highly visible and unpredictable
deployments.
The specialist officers are trained to spot suspicious activity
and identify individuals who are preparing to commit serious
crimes, including acts of terrorism.
Funding will be initially focused on supporting communities in
London and Manchester, with the Metropolitan Police Service and
Greater Manchester Police expected to step up patrols to stop
potential terrorist threats and reconnaissance.
It comes during a period of increased concern for some
communities across the country as both antisemitism and
anti-Muslim hate crime have reached record highs.
Security Minister said:
At a time of heightened concern for some communities, it is vital
that we step up our support.
Project Servator has a proven track record of stopping criminals
and terrorists through highly visible, unpredictable deployments
that vary in time and location, deterring those planning harm and
reassuring the public.
This new funding will back the police with the resources they
need to step up patrols, protect communities, and keep people
safe in the places where they live, work and worship.
The uplift in Servator deployments follows the arson attack on
the Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green, the charging of
individuals under the National Security Act for alleged
surveillance of Jewish sites, the terrorist attack at Heaton Park
synagogue and arson attack at Peacehaven mosque last year.
Project Servator officers disrupt crime through highly visible
and unpredictable deployments, consisting of uniformed and plain
clothes officers, as well as specialist units. Previous
deployments have led to arrests, seizures of drugs and weapons,
and the collection of critical intelligence to support
counter-terrorism investigations.
Officers also engage with the public and businesses to further
heighten awareness, encouraging everyone to stay alert and act
swiftly on anything unusual.
Matt Jukes Deputy Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police Service
said:
Our communities are the heart of policing, and everything we do
is focused on keeping people safe and feeling protected where
they live, work and worship. Servator deployments are an
important way we deliver that, by placing specialist officers at
key locations to deter criminal activity and provide visible
reassurance.
In recent months, we have increased our presence around faith and
community sites, strengthened the way we support victims and
investigate hate crime, and continued to build strong
relationships with faith leaders and local representatives. We
welcome this funding, which will help us go further in working
alongside communities and safeguarding what matters most to them.
This new funding forms part of a package of measures to protect
communities across the country, including a record £73.4 million
in funding for protective security at Jewish, Muslim, and other
faith sites.
It also follows a fundamental reset in how we approach countering
extremism so that the government can keep the public safe, with
new measures introduced to expand our visa taskforce to stop
foreign extremists from ever setting foot on UK soil and bolster
our disruption capability to dismantle extremist networks
nationwide and keep the public safe.
Greater Manchester Police Inspector Chris Hadfield, our Tactical
Lead for Project Servator said:
Project Servator plays a vital role in our approach to public
safety, by providing a combination of police visibility,
community engagement and partnership working to protect our
people across GM.
This additional funding strengthens our commitment to Project
Servator and will allow us the opportunity to expand the work we
do in disrupting criminal activity. Our specially trained
officers spot the tell-tale signs that someone is planning to
commit an act of crime, while maintaining a strong and reassuring
presence within the local communities.
Since launching at GMP in 2016, Project Servator has continued to
work in busy areas across the city, as well as maintaining safety
at wider public events that visit Manchester, such as the BRIT
Awards earlier this year.
Our patrols are highly visible, but deployments are
unpredictable, and can happen at any time, in any given location.
The teams also regularly conduct deployments in and around local
faith communities, supporting with cultural events and holy days.
It is our aim that this funding will continue to support this
mission and ensure the public always know the best places to
report any suspicious or unusual activity.
Project Servator was devised by the City of London Police.
