With the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our lives, it is understandable that the threat from terrorism isn’t necessarily front of mind for everyone across the country. But the threat of terrorism has not gone away.
Given national and regional restrictions, there will be a different look and feel to public locations and workplace environments over the festive season. However, the recent terror attacks in Europe and the change in the UK’s terrorism threat level to SEVERE – meaning an attack is highly likely – are reminders of how important it is to stay vigilant whenever you are out and about.
This year in the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) we will again be joining policing colleagues and businesses across the UK to support and promote the Counter Terrorism Policing Winter campaign, together with promoting our Project Servator deployments and festive campaign material. All with the same purpose to PROTECT, by reminding everyone in the communities that we serve to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
In the same way that we must work collectively to tackle coronavirus, we must all take personal responsibility to play our part in staying alert to what we see and hear, and feel is going on around us. The collective efforts of police, security staff, retail workers and the public provide a powerful defence against terrorism. Together communities defeat terrorism.
Assistant Chief Constable Andrea Bishop, MDP CONTEST Board Lead, said:
We have a strong network of vigilant eyes and ears in the communities in and around the sites where MDP officers are deployed and we work, throughout the year, with our policing and security partners and local employers and businesses, to give advice and guidance on safety and security measures. However, we must not be complacent, and I urge everyone to remain vigilant and to report anything suspicious or that just doesn’t seem right.
A collective and proactive community effort to security will always be the most effective defence that we have against terrorism. We know a terrorist attack can happen anywhere and at any time and although the establishments we protect have an ingrained security focused culture, it is important that all staff and members of the public keep that focus and awareness in and outside the workplace. By working together, we can all help to keep each other safe.
MDP Project Servator teams will continue to be out on the ground throughout the Winter months and festive season, with deployments that can pop up at anytime and anywhere. Even at distance our officers can still spot the tell-tale signs of criminal activity. We will engage with you at safe distance to let you know that we’re there to keep you safe and we will encourage you to report anything suspicious.
If you see or hear something suspicious, trust your instincts and report your concerns to police, security or staff. We’ll do the rest.
Reports can also be made in confidence at www.gov.uk/ACT. To report suspicious activity to the MDP call 01371 854444. In an emergency always call 999.
Find out more about Project Servator, CONTEST and how you can help to defeat terrorism:
