UK Protect – Faith Community Advice

UK Protect Counter Terrorism Policing have released some precautionary advice for Faith Communities in light of recent events in France and Saudi Arabia.

You may be aware of the recent incidents in France and Jeddah which are being reported in the media.
UK Protect want to reassure you that Counter Terrorism Policing and the Intelligence Services are speaking to their counterparts in France and are closely monitoring the situation. At this time there is no reason to alarmed, and there has been no intelligence to suggest an increased threat here in the UK. They are working with local policing to identify French communities in the UK and offering advice and guidance to any faith communities who may be feeling concerned. Should the situation change we will take action where necessary to protect those communities.

They would encourage you to remind your staff/community to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity via Gov.uk/ACT or, in an emergency, always call 999.

French and Faith Community Advice

Run Hide Tell 
Incidents in the UK and around the world remind us all of the terrorist threat we face, which in the UK is considered as ‘SEVERE’, meaning an attack is highly likely. However, there is no evidence to suggest an attack is going to happen. Police and security agencies are working tirelessly to protect the public but it is also important that communities remain vigilant and aware of how to protect themselves if the need arises.

Suspicious Items Guidance 

• Do not touch
• Try and identify an owner in the immediate area
• If you still think it’s suspicious, don’t feel embarrassed or think anybody else will report it
• Report it to a member of staff, security, or if they are not available dial 999 (do not use your mobile phone in the immediate vicinity)
• Move away to a safe distance – Even for a small item such as a briefcase move at least 100m away from the item starting from the centre and moving out

Crowded Places Guidance from the NCPP
The UK faces a threat from terrorism and crowded places remain an attractive target.
Crowded places include shopping centres, sports stadia, bars, pubs, places of worship and clubs which are easily accessible to the public and attractive to terrorists.

Guidance has been written to help those charged with security at crowded places mitigate the threat and help make the UK less vulnerable to an attack.

CPNI Advice—Marauding Terrorist Attacks 
Marauding terrorist attacks are fast-moving, violent incidents where assailants move through a location aiming to find and kill or injure as many people as possible. Most deaths occur within the first few minutes of the attack, before police are able to respond.

It is important that your organisation is aware of the heightened risks and adequately prepared for any potential attack.
New and detailed guidance is now available providing details of the simple measures that can be taken to minimise the impact of an attack and help save lives.

This new guidance builds on the principles of RUN, HIDE, TELL published by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office.

Lets Talk About it
Let’s Talk About It is an initiative designed to provide practical help and guidance in order to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.