## Lga Conference On Safer Communities Wednesday 9 December

Prevent and local authorities Matt Collins, Head of Prevent Delivery Unit, OSCT

## Context: The Terrorist Threat To The Uk

•
The terrorist threat level is 'severe' - meaning that an attack in
this country is 'highly likely'.
•
But the threats we face have changed:
Daesh is much larger and better resourced than AQ and is trying to
create and establish a state;
unlike AQ, Daesh is also trying to radicalise large numbers of
people here and in other western countries and has attracted far
more foreign fighters and supporters;
its social media propaganda is intense.
•
Foreign fighters and supporters are encouraged either to travel or to conduct simple but effective terrorist attacks here.

## Syrian Travellers And Returnees

•
800+ people of security interest have travelled to Syria/Iraq
since the conflict began; about 50% have returned. Many other have travelled for a range of reasons
•
High proportion of all early travellers were motivated by
humanitarian not extremist issues
•
Greater proportion of all later travellers intend to join Daesh;
fewer are returning
•
Greater proportion of later travellers are women and children;
average age has decreased
•
Greater proportion of later travellers are being stopped before
departure.

## Our Response: Prevent

•
Daesh makes Prevent more important
•
The aim of Prevent is to stop people becoming terrorists or
supporting terrorism" by: countering ideology and propaganda; supporting people at risk of radicalisation (Channel); and working with key institutions.
•
Prevent is intended to pre-empt criminal activity - to protect
and not to criminalise communities
•
Prevent is prioritised according to risk - the greatest risk of
radicalisation is currently from Daesh but extreme right wing
organisations is also within the scope of the programme
•
Prevent is not concerned with matters of faith but issues of
ideology and radicalisation

## Prevent Duty

•
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 **places a duty** on
specified authorities to 'have due regard to the need to prevent
people from being drawn into terrorism'.
•
The duty does not itself change the nature of our Prevent work
- the strategy (2011) still stands and currently remains the basis for our work.
•
Five key themes throughout the guidance which apply across all
sectors: understand risks; ensure effective leadership; use the
Prevent
partnerships;
develop
capability/
knowledge;
and
establish appropriate **information sharing** arrangements.
•
Effect of the duty has been: an increase in Prevent activity,
notably in education and with Channel referrals, and to make application of Prevent more consistent

## Prevent Duty: What It Means For You

- Local authorities and Prevent coordinators continue to be vital for
Prevent work.
- **More even balance** between the work of policing and contributions
from other statutory partners.
- Local authorities are best placed to identify community based
organisations who can deliver Prevent
- Local authorities will be directly involved in the growing volume
of casework in and outside of Channel, notably with families and
children; legal issues - role of Family Courts - still to be clarified
- The duty will require more training and familiarisation across all
partners.

## Prevent: Key Issues

•
We want to increase the number of community based organisations
to support and deliver a range of Prevent initiatives. Keen to expand
into existing third sector organisations
•
We are expanding **Channel** - now a mandatory requirement; referrals
and current casework have increased sharply (notably from education);
want to refer more people with links to Syria to the programme
•
We are facing growing numbers of people who need safeguarding
outside of Channel for radicalisation reasons: new legal issues emerging
•
We are increasing work with **social media providers** to remove Daesh
online propaganda in line with T's and C's.
We are producing more
guidance about on line propaganda and sponsoring more effective
online community based rebuttal of Daesh ideology

## Countering Extremism

•
In October, the Government published a new Counter Extremism
strategy….
•
Prevent is one part of the strategy. But the strategy deals with harms
other than terrorism which are caused by extremism - eg hate crime (including Islamophobia). Emphasises that extremism is important not
only because it can legitimise and encourage terrorism.
•
Strategy proposes stronger work to promote British values and to build community cohesion: both are important for Prevent but cannot be
done from a counter terrorist team.
•
Coordination between Prevent and wider counter extremism work will be essential…

## Conclusions

•
Daesh is not more of the same: it brings a **different kind of threat**.
•
Daesh makes Prevent increasingly important.
- The **duty is part of our renewed response to the changing threat**.
- It is based on the existing Prevent strategy and many organisations
are already meeting its requirements.
- Local authorities have been for many years, and will continue to be, a
key part of our response to the terrorist threat.