Terrorism

ANALYSIS: A new survey of European law enforcement officers by investigative analytics software specialist Cognyte has highlighted gaps in police analytics and skillsets which are limiting agencies’ ability to take effective action, alongside a “widespread” convergence of organised crime and terrorism that is adding to the scale and complexity of threats facing law enforcement, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

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.

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.

OPINION: In the wake of the recent attempted bombing in Perth being declared a terrorist act, and growing concerns around hate crime and extremism, Australia’s Independent National Security Legislation Monitor is now undertaking an inquiry into the country’s legal definition of terrorism; Griffith University Associate Professor Dr Keiran Hardy explores the current definition and related offences, why the wording is so important, and whether the existing legal definition is fit for purpose.

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 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.

FEATURE: Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the worrying rise of the 764 online network, which targets teenagers and promotes involvement in a range of damaging activities including abuse and exploitation, satanic and neo-Nazi extremism, and online and offline violence, and the efforts to tackle the growth of the network.

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.

ANALYSIS: The 2025 edition of the European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (EU TE-SAT) has highlighted the growing number of young people involved in terrorism, and the use of artificial intelligence, social media and gaming to target vulnerabilities such as mental health, isolation and digital addiction, while the impact of geopolitical developments in Russia, Syria and other parts of the African continent also pose a threat, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons 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.

ANALYSIS: As protests around hotels housing asylum seekers look set to grow in the wake of the recent court decision involving Epping, and supporters of Palestine Action continue to adopt a protest policy of mass arrests, Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone, a former Metropolitan Police officer and public order specialist, looks at the background and implications of the public order challenges facing policing this summer.

FEATURE: A new report from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has found that most countries have gaps in their understanding of terrorism financing trends, with terrorist organisations exploiting vulnerabilities both in traditional financial systems, and increasingly through online opportunities; the FATF is calling for greater international collaboration and the harmonisation of legal frameworks, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: Prevent training – particularly the duty-to-refer protocol – as part of the UK’s anti-terrorism provision does not serve its purpose; a study at one university in England identified issues faced by those lecturers currently charged with the responsibility to implement it, explains Nicole Lees, a Lecturer in Security, Intelligence and Investigative Practice at the University of Cumbria.

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.

OPINION: Twenty years ago this week, UK policing faced one of its largest planned operational challenges – the G8 summit in Scotland – as well the 7/7 suicide bombings in London; in this second article, Policing Insight contributor Graham Wettone – then an experienced sergeant on the Metropolitan Police Public Order Intelligence Unit – describes the training and deployment of intelligence and evidence gathering teams during the summit, and the devastating impact of the London attacks.

ANALYSIS: With the radicalisation of Muslim youth a continuing concern for governments, communities and counter-terrorism policing, Birmingham City University Senior Lecturer Dr Lily Hamourtziadou, University of Salford Lecturer Dr Anna Kruglova, and Detective Superintendent Matt Davison, national lead for the Identify strand of Prevent, explore three non-violent ways to counter radicalisation and terrorism that combine moral and practical approaches to security.

FEATURE: In the wake of the trial and conviction of a Nazi ‘virtual’ terrorist cell in Sheffield for planning attacks on mosques and synagogues in England, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the lessons learned from the European PROTECTOR initiative, which highlighted the importance of collaboration and co-operation between law enforcement, faith communities, local authorities and other partners in improving the security of religious sites and places of worship.

OPINION: Blended or hybrid radical ideologies that comprise seemingly separate beliefs are increasingly impacting younger audiences, and providing motivation for violent extremism; with misogynistic and anti-feminist views often overlapping these ideologies, Astrid Young, research intern at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, warns that Australia needs a targeted policy response to deter young people from extremism.

OPINION: Victoria’s Supreme Court recently decided to keep Abdul Nacer Benbrika – Australia’s most notorious terrorist – under an extended supervision order, after police surveillance highlighted his continuing radical intent; but the lack of coverage of the case has prompted warnings from Dr John Coyne, Henry Campbell and Justin Bassi of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), who argue that such successes should help to reassure the public that Australia’s counter-terrorism policy is working well.