Counter-terrorism

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OPINION: Several recent shootings in Canada have been labelled as extremist violence, but the reality may be more complex, says University of Winnipeg Adjunct Professor Kawser Ahmed, who warns that the country’s ongoing urban violence problem is increasingly about a brokered violence market in which young people can be recruited, paid, coerced or gamified into attacks whose purpose is supplied by someone unknown to them.

OPINION: Martyn’s Law, which forces venues, operators and policymakers to take public protection more seriously, came into effect last year, with new guidance introduced by the UK Government in April; but Gareth Brearley of AI company Augur argues that while additional CCTV, risk assessments, and the right paperwork may enable organisations to comply with the legislation, it is operational readiness, situational awareness and understanding information at scale that are truly needed to keep people safe.

INTERVIEW: Dr Joe Whittaker, Programme Director of the MA in Cyber Crime & Terrorism at Swansea University, spoke to Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth about his research into extremists’ use of the internet, the unintended consequences of the removal of terrorist content online, and the need for policing to recognise that while the internet is often integral to radicalisation, most terrorists and extremists are involved in offline physical networks that play an important role in the process.

FEATURE: Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth highlights the opportunities presented by a new Young Leaders in National Security Fellowship offered by the Counter Extremism Group, which aims to identify, nurture, and guide young people – including students, graduates, and young police officers and police staff – interested in counter-terrorism and counter-extremism issues.

FEATURE: While the ‘Run, Hide, Tell’ guidance remains necessary life-saving advice for the public in the event of a terrorist attack, it was never designed to be adopted by businesses, who have a direct duty of care to staff and customers; Policing insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the ‘Guide Shelter Report’ model, launched recently by ProtectUK, aimed at ensuring businesses and organisations have a good security culture in place in response to such scenarios.

INNOVATION: While efforts to prevent and detect crime and ensure security are increasingly focused on the digital landscape alongside closer community relations, the mail system still offers opportunities for criminals and bad actors, as the international drug trafficking operation using the Canadian postal service recently uncovered by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police demonstrated; safety and security professional Vernon White looks at the challenges of the identifying invisible threats, and the steps being taken to make it possible.

FEATURE: As the European Commission (EC) unveils a new agenda to prevent and counter terrorism, which includes new practical tools for countering the radicalisation of minors, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth suggests that the EC would do well to learn some of the lessons from the implementation of the Prevent Strategy in the UK, including the statutory duties on all schools, colleges and universities to protect children and young adults in their care from adopting extremist and violent ideologies.

INTERVIEW: This week saw the UK launch of a new Level 3 Award in Counter-Terrorism Protective Security and Preparedness, developed by Skills for Justice (SFJ) Awards in collaboration with the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), and endorsed by Counter Terrorism Policing; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to SFJ Awards Managing Director David Higham about the aims of the qualification, the involvement of NaCTSO, and how the award helps with the implementation of Martyn’s Law.

FEATURE: This year will see the launch of two new counter-terrorism initiatives in the UK – a register of specialists who can provide protective security and preparedness advice for businesses and organisations, and a new regulation training individuals to provide counter-terrorism advice and preparedness measures in the workplace – which are both part of the broader response to the Manchester Arena bombing under the aegis of what has become known as ‘Martyn’s Law’, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth explains.

OPINION: Recent horrific attacks in Australia and the UK have brought the threat from terrorists back firmly into the public spotlight; research by Dr Sara Fregonese of the University of Birmingham and Dr Paul Simpson of the University of Plymouth suggests that what the UK public fears and assumes about terrorism threats is quite different from reality, with perceptions from culturally diverse demographic groups showing significant variations.

FEATURE: The recent maiden public speech from the new Chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli – the first female head of the Service – highlighted the challenges around state actors operating in the ‘grey zone’ to pose a risk to the UK’s security and stability; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the nature of those threats, including drones and cyber-attacks, and the role MI6 and policing will need to play in countering them.

FEATURE: The horrific terrorist attack on Bondi Beach this week – the worst in Australia’s history – has once again highlighted both the continuing critical threat of terrorism, and the importance of efforts to identify individuals at risk of radicalisation and violent extremism; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the role of the UK’s Prevent Programme in doing just that.

FEATURE: A recently foiled plot to assassinate Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever is the latest attempt by terrorists to use 3D printers and drones to create potentially deadly weapons to carry out attacks; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at examples of terrorists employing such technology, the availability of components and manuals to undertake such operations, and what can be done to tackle these threats.

INTERVIEW: Since Krissy Barrett’s appointment last month as Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), she has been setting out some of the challenges facing the organisation in the current policing landscape; she recently spoke to Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons about her aims for leading the force to meet the evolving threats, the AFP’s unique technical and collaborative capabilities, and her ambition to ensure the AFP is “the best police agency in the world to work in”.

INTERVIEW: SFJ Awards, an independent regulated awarding organisation born out of Skills for Justice and part of The Workforce Development Trust group, is one of the UK’s leading awarding bodies in police, public and private training provision for counter-terrorism; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Kit Salt, SJF Awards Director of Partnerships and Innovation, about the qualifications offered including the new protective security advisers certificate, developed with the Home Office.

FEATURE: The recent completion of the two-year EU PRECRISIS project has culminated in the publication of a series of operational briefings designed to “inform and add value” to all stakeholders engaged in delivering safety and security at public spaces, including law enforcement, other first responders, local authorities and urban developers, as well as private-sector partners, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: The Prevent programme has been a vital but often criticised element of the UK government’s counter-terrorism efforts; the latest review of the programme, prompted by the murders of three young girls in Southport and Conservative MP Sir David Amess in separate knife attacks, has highlighted both the failures and fault lines of the approach, as well as its potential to achieve successful interventions, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: The 9/11 attacks on the US, which took place 24 years ago this week, were both a shocking series of events on a horrific scale, and a moment which changed the course of world history; Policing Insight’s Andrew Stainforth looks back at the initial response from UK policing and political leaders to those terrorist atrocities, and what it meant for the country both in the immediate aftermath and the longer term.

OPINION: With the changing nature of terrorist threats and the proscription of Palestine Action, former Police Scotland superintendent Martin Gallagher, now an author, journalist and terrorism expert, looks at what is potentially emerging as a new ‘Fifth Wave’ of global terrorism, its relationship with crime, and the possible impact of branding criminal organisations as terrorist groups.

FEATURE: Given the ongoing debates around the application of powers under the UK Terrorism Act 2000 in relation to proscribed organisations, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the challenges around keeping non-specialist officers up to speed with ever-evolving terrorist legislation, and why a consolidation act for counter-terrorism laws could benefit both individual rights and the effectiveness of police officers.

OPINION: Tensions between Russia and NATO are reaching new levels, but any conflict is likely to take place in the “grey zone of modern warfare”, argues Paul Goldenberg, Chief Advisor with Rutgers University Miller Police Center, with the sabotage of critical infrastructure, drone incursions and information warfare all tactics that will mean police – particularly those in Nordic countries – have a vital role to play in ensuring national security and stability as well as protecting democracy.

FEATURE: The rapid advancement of drone technology – as highlighted by their growing and impactful use in conflict zones such as the Ukraine war – is also expanding the potential threat posed by terrorist organisations, raising concerns for both law enforcement and defence agencies alike, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

INNOVATION: With the recent Counter-Terrorism Preparedness Network report focusing on the security benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI), Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at some of the key issues raised by the report, as well as the work of the EU’s PRECRISIS initiative in establishing compliance frameworks around the use of AI in security contexts, which ensure that ethical standards, data privacy and personal rights can be maintained.