Civil Nuclear Constabulary
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) supports the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Counter Terrorism Awareness week, which launches across the country today (24/11).
The awareness week will focus on five key areas where action by the police, businesses and the public can prevent terrorism: crowded places, transport hubs, preventing violent extremism, terrorist financing, and the tools that terrorists need to operate.
Following the increase of the international terrorism threat to severe, there is a heightened need to ensure that the UK is in the best position to deter and detect potential terrorist threats. All police forces, other emergency services, and the military are prepared for a rapid and effective response to any such incident.
Our colleagues in home office forces will be speaking to students in schools and universities about the Prevent strategy, which provides practical help to stop people from being drawn into terrorism, with theatre groups performing at some schools to raise awareness, and police dogs will be detecting large amounts of money at ports, airports and railway stations to prevent cash leaving the UK for terrorist purposes.
Since the terror threat level increased on August 29 reports of suspicious behaviour have nearly doubled. This is a direct result of reporting by members of the public, and every report is investigated.
Chief Constable Mike Griffiths said: As a national police force with responsibility for the armed protection of civil nuclear facilities and materials, counter-terrorism is at the heart of what the CNC do.
The severe threat level indicates that it is highly likely that a terrorist attack could happen in the UK although it has not been raised in response to a specific threat. This campaign reminds everybody, from law enforcement to businesses to the general public that they have a role to play in keeping the UK safe from terrorism.
This week of awareness also asks us all to be vigilant - if you suspect it, report it. Nobody is better placed to detect something that is out of place in their communities than the people living in them.
Anyone with any suspicions should call the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.