Counter-terrorism police chief urges public vigilance following attacks
People have been urged to speak to police if they see anything suspicious while out celebrating during the festive period.
Public vigilance has never been more important in the wake of the mass shooting in Bondi Beach and Manchester synagogue attacks, a UK counter-terrorism police chief has said.
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Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jon Savell said staying safe is a shared responsibility as he urged people to speak to police if they see anything suspicious while out celebrating during the festive period.
He said that local forces in England and Wales will have plans in place to protect religious events where needed.
Police also use specific tactics around events like Christmas markets because they have been repeatedly targeted in mainland Europe.
And the public will see more police on trains and at major stations during the Christmas holidays.
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Mr Savell said: “I know that this year, we find ourselves entering the festive season with the recent terrible attack in Manchester fresh in our minds, along with the awful atrocity in Australia just days ago.
“These awful acts remind us that the vigilance of our communities has never been more important."
He said staying safe is a "shared responsibility", and expressed his hope that many people will take this up.
“Every single report we receive from the public is important, you won’t be wasting our time if you call us or report something online," he said.
“Each report you make could make a difference to investigations, or even create the opportunity for arrests or other action.
“We want people to feel safe to enjoy winter with family and friends, while also being empowered to report any concern themselves, rather than thinking someone else may report it."
He urged people to trust your instinct and "speak up" if something feels wrong.
"It could be as simple as alerting staff or security at a venue or event about a concern, or by contacting the police to make a report," he added.
Last year one in five reports to the anti-terrorism hotline were passed on to police for further investigation.
Mr Savell described the Bondi Beach atrocity as “an absolute tragedy” and acknowledged that it was “very impactive” on the Jewish community in Britain.
“We are doing our level best to ensure that the Jewish community are able to celebrate just as much as everybody else,” he said.
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Government minister Ashley Dalton was heckled at a vigil for those killed in the Bondi Beach terror attack. @NickFerrariLBC puts it to Labour Against Antisemitism's @hearnimator. pic.twitter.com/n4XQOvReEf
Christmas and New Year are an important time for people to be out enjoying themselves and police don’t want to scare them or stop them going out, the senior national co-ordinator for counter-terror policing said.
Turning to Christmas markets, he said: “We are very aware that they are crowded places.
“Last year there was an awful tragedy in Germany at a Christmas market involving a vehicle. We are really alive to that.
“We have a lot of tactics that we deploy in order to prevent that happening here.
“The public shouldn’t fear about going around to those sorts of places but just be vigilant.”
British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi said the public will notice more officers on the transport network.
“The railway network is always busy throughout the festive period, packed with shoppers, partygoers, tourists and people visiting family and friends.
“You will notice more BTP officers – including armed police and search dog teams – on trains and at stations, and there will also be officers there who you won’t be able to see.
“They are there to keep you safe, but we need your help too. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and tell us.”