Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 1

BITN 831_16,17,19 (terror):BITN 772_20,21 (orbit) 1/7/10 17:55 Page 19

COUNTER TERRORISM

dealt with and the steps security staff should take if and tourists because of suspicions over what they
they see a suspect package. were photographing.
There followed another video montage of bombings At the airport briefing, CTSA David Randall
from Ireland to Iraq – this time set to Robbie Williams finished the session by encouraging attendees to
singing Angel. think about what was unusual, and therefore needed
A key part of any Project Griffin training is spotting reporting.
hostile reconnaissance – the intelligence gathering “The baseline is normal or usual activity – the
terrorists carry out before an attack. But there has general movement of people where you work or at
been criticism that Griffin encourages private security Another slide from the home,” he said. “What it looks like and what it
staff to start seeing a terrorist in every innocent Operation Griffin briefing. sounds like.
photographer. Officials stressed terrorist “What is unusual is what conflicts with that
According to advice from Greater Manchester threats weren’t confined to baseline. It is a sixth sense.
Police, released to The Big Issue in the North under jihadi groups “Ask yourself, what you have seen and why did it
the Freedom of Information Act, suspicious activity not feel right?”
includes: “People taking pictures or notes of the Inspector Tony Marson, who runs Project Griffin at
security measures at a building. Tourists taking the airport, said giving people the confidence to call
pictures of each other with buildings in the in suspicious activity was key.
background should be treated sensitively but also It was not just the awareness of spotting something
considered.” out of the ordinary, he emphasised, but knowing that
In the City of London, security guards and police every scrap of information could be important, and
have stopped and detained many innocent students should not be left to someone else to report.

Chakrabarti (left): Prevent


is an “affront”. Below:
the Prevent programme is delivering. According to
human rights pressure group Just West Yorkshire a
Who gets funded
Kundnani: police influence fundamental flaw in the strategy is that its definition The 19 areas to have received
of violent extremism ignores the threat from the far the most Prevent funding
training on how to spot right. between 2008/9 and 2010/11
extremists and identify In a report, it said: “Despite the investment of are below. According to the
people vulnerable to nearly £100 million of public monies… there is little 2001 census, this also matches
recruitment. Councillors evidence that violent extremism or radicalism has the 19 areas with the highest
have taken part in role playing exercises involving been eliminated or minimised. percentage of Muslim
“terror-related events”. The city council has “Just calls for an open and transparent residents.
committed to remove offensive graffiti within demonstration of how funded activities and
48 hours. programmes have resulted in the reduction of violent Birmingham: £2,413,000
The prison and probation service have joined in to extremism in the Muslim community… how funded Bradford: £1,425,000
look at how they deal with potential extremists who agencies are competent in achieving these changes.” Tower Hamlets: £1,349,000
have already come to the attention of the police. In a damning report on Prevent released earlier this Newham: £1,197,000
A report to Manchester City Council shows the year, the Commons DCLG Select Committee appeared Kirklees: £893,000
challenges local authorities face in implementing to agree. Chairwoman Phyllis Starkey said: “We agree Manchester: £817,000
Prevent. “Getting it wrong or rushing to spend that a targeted strategy must address the Waltham Forest: £817,000
available funding without any real engagement with contemporary al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist threat, but Brent: £741,000
partners or learning about communities and what we do not believe a government department charged Ealing: £741,000
works would be counter-productive,” notes the with promoting cohesive communities should take a Leicester: £741,000
report. leading role in this counter-terrorism initiative.” Redbridge: £741,000
Councillor Paul Murphy, chair of Greater Indeed, the committee was concerned that Prevent Hackney: £741,000
Manchester Police Authority, told a House of activities had, in some cases, tainted existing Luton: £665,000
Commons select committee looking at the Prevent community relations. Blackburn w Darwen: £665,000
programme that Manchester rigorously reviews the According to Dr Paul Thomas, a lecturer in youth Enfield: £665,000
way Prevent is run but admitted: “It is new and community work at the University of Haringey: £665,000
and we are learning. I suspect when it Huddersfield who has studied Prevent in places Oldham: £665,000
was first introduced people were not such as Oldham, the programme has provoked Sheffield: £665,000
quite sure what it meant. Nobody criticism from other groups who feel that Camden: £665,000
bothered to model it… it was left to Muslims are given preferential treatment
police authorities, forces and local because of the funding it channels. But its Source: Institute of
government to work out. value as an intelligence-gathering tool means it Race Relations.
“We are beginning to work it out – will be with us for a while, according to Arun
although I think the most important Kundnani of the Institute of Race Relations. He
message is that the police should not believes the government is likely to withdraw
just be allowed to be unfettered in the funding from local authorities and hand it over
way in which (a) they go about their to the police.
business, or (b) the money they spend. “The police have massive influence
“We bring them to account on a because they have the intelligence
regular basis. It is based on trust and and they refuse to share it,” he
transparency.” says. “It is going to become less
But not everyone is convinced accountable and more secret.”

5-11 JULY 2010 · THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH 19

Вам также может понравиться