POLICING
Counter Terror Business talks to Caroline Graham about Project Servator deployments and what the public can expect at East Midlands Airport
CTB INTERVIEW: PROJECT SERVATOR DEPLOYMENTS
P
roject Servator aims to deter, detect and disrupt a range of criminal activity, including terrorism, while providing a reassuring presence for the public. Counter Terror Business (CTB) talks to Caroline Graham (CG) about Project Servator deployments and what the public can expect at East Midlands Airport. CTB: IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 1,500 ARRESTS AS A RESULT OF PROJECT SERVATOR DEPLOYMENTS. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE TO BE TRIALLING THE SCHEME AT EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT? Leicestershire Police are really proud to be trialling Project Servator at East Midlands Airport, helping keep this community and the people who pass through it safe. With approximately five million passengers using the airport each year it is important for us to reassure these visitors and deter criminals from carrying out any activity at the site. Although Project Servator is not a response to a specific threat, the threat to the UK from terrorism
is ‘substantial’, meaning an attack is likely. The tragic events at Streatham High Road in January 2020, Fishmongers’ Hall in London in 2019 and London and Manchester in 2017 remind us that attacks can happen at any time or place without warning. This means we all have to remain alert and vigilant when going about our daily lives. Our highly visible deployments will help spread this message of vigilance within the airport community. CTB: WHAT TRAINING IS INVOLVED FOR POLICE WHEN IT COMES TO PROJECT SERVATOR? As part of Project Servator, police officers are specially trained to identify individuals who may be planning or preparing to commit a crime. This can range from someone shoplifting to an individual who is planning a terrorist attack carrying out reconnaissance at an iconic site – the tell-tale signs that bring them to officers’ attention are the same. Their state of mind is often demonstrated by telltale signs that specially trained police officers and security staff can look out for and then take action. E
ISSUE 42 | COUNTER TERROR BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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