Why the U.K.’s Terrorism Threat Level Has Been Raised and What Happens Now
Assessing the terrorism threat involves continuously monitoring world events so it was almost inevitable that the UK government would raise its terrorism threat level after what happened in Austria and France. Terrorist groups will have considered these attacks a success so there would naturally be concerns that they might seek to replicate the attacks in the U.K.
What Happens Now?
It is likely there will be changes to security arrangements across the UK now that the threat level been raised. There is likely to be an increase in visible policing, particularly in public spaces and crowded places. Expect to see more police in locations considered to be symbolic or iconic, since these are considered more desirable targets for attackers. That might mean places of worship, major shopping centers, sports stadiums and visitor attractions.
Usually these venues are heavily populated, which can lead to a high number of casualties if attacked, and they are often considered to be soft targets due to having limited protective security measures making them vulnerable. Some targets may be considered to be symbolic if they represent a culture, corporation or government that a terrorist wants to attack.
Given the attack in Vienna involved the use of an automatic firearm, and the attacks in Nice and Paris involved bladed weapons, it is feasible that visible patrols in some areas of the UK could be carried out by police firearms officers to help increase the U.K.’s preparedness to deal with a similar style attack.
This also acts as a visual deterrent and a reassurance to the public. Overt police armed patrols were used in the UK in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015, for example.
There will also be more security messages and announcements over public address systems in crowded places, such as transport hubs and crowded places. This is meant to increase vigilance and encourage people to report suspicious packages or activity.
The U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing network will deploy its security message of “run, hide and tell” which provides advice on what the public should do if caught up in a firearms and weapons attack. This too, reflects the nature of the attacks in Austria and France.
The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and the Centre of the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) have specialist security advisers who work with businesses considered to be at risk of being targeted by terrorists, and provide protective security advice to them. The heightened security level is likely to see an increase in engagement between them.
Many public spaces and crowded places are likely to be quieter, with less visitors due to non-essential businesses being closed for lockdown. That reduces opportunities for terrorists to carry out attacks. But the U.K. government still clearly considers there to be an ongoing terrorist threat to the U.K. and the public will need to remain vigilant.
Alasdair Booth is Visiting Fellow in Counter-Terrorism Protective Security and the Built Environment, Loughborough University. This article is published courtesy of The Conversation.
