COUNTER TERRORISM/PREVENT UPDATE
A verbal update will be provided concerning counter terrorism and the Prevent strategy.
Minutes:
The Prevent update was provided by Mr Rob Vale (Head of Trading Standards and Community Safety).
Mr Vale informed the Committee that he would report back in the new year with a formal report when more data was available. He was waiting to receive the Counter Terrorism Local Profile (CTLP) information which would impact upon the level of risk in Bromley. The CTLP would drive Bromley’s counter terrorism strategy, and would provide the data required to update the Chief Executive and the Counter Terrorism Action Plan.
Mr Vale stated that Bromley was currently regarded as a low level threat authority in respect of terrorism. The Home Office was now becoming more transparent in providing data around the number of people that had been referred to Prevent. Mr Vale was hopeful that a web link providing this information could be sent to Committee members via the Committee Secretary in due course.
The Committee heard that 25% of all Prevent referrals originated from London.
Mr Vale briefed the Committee that the Home Office were in the process of making changes to the Channel referral process. This had been managed by the Police, but the Home Office was now working on changes to allow the local authorities to manage the process instead. With this extra responsibility would come extra funding. Mr Vale stated that he would be attending a meeting at the Home Office the following day to hear more about the new system which had been called ‘Project Dovetail’.
The Chairman highlighted the problems associated with online activities, particularly with respect to the ‘Dark Web’. Mr Vale acknowledged this and said that the Police have the power to close down Dark Web sites. Pressure was also being levied against social media companies to close down sites that promoted terrorism. A new WRAP* product was being developed by the Home Office to include online radicalisation.
*(Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent).
RESOLVED that the Prevent update be noted and that Mr Vale update the Committee further with a formal report in the New Year.