Enjoy the festivities, but stay alert: How the Met is keeping London safe at Christmas
22 December 2023, 15:30 | Updated: 22 December 2023, 15:34
- Commander Murphy is the head of the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command.
At this special festive time of year, everyone is focused on spending time with family and loved ones and enjoying our fantastic city.
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It is of course one of the busiest times of year with people descending on Christmas markets, high streets and transport hubs.
There are thousands of officers in London and across the country working hard to ensure everyone can enjoy this period safely.
And that includes the dedicated counter-terrorism officers I oversee as head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Specialist teams, officers, staff and investigators all work around the clock to keep you safe.
This includes our fantastic Project Servator teams, who are specially trained to spot the tell-tale signs that someone is planning or preparing to commit a crime.
It is a huge privilege to do this job and I know every one of my policing colleagues feels the same.
But we need your help too. Everyone can play a role in watching out for each other.
We know that big events and crowded places can be an attractive target for criminal and terrorist activity.
And my message is that while there is no cause for alarm and you should enjoy everything London has to offer, people should stay alert and report anything that doesn’t feel right. You won’t be wasting our time and you could save lives.
Heightened vigilance is especially important in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Middle-East which has had an impact on communities much closer to home.
While we are doing all we can to protect the public, I can’t overstate how important your information is.
In just one 12-month period, one in five reports made to us was particularly useful to investigations.
I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to contact us - these reports really can make a difference.
It is easy to report – you can do it online or by calling the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency, always call 999
