City of London Police hosts counter terrorism conference CT2022

Security professionals, business leaders and counter terrorism experts attended the City of London Police’s inaugural counter terrorism conference, CT2022, on Thursday 10 March.

The event, held at 22 Bishopsgate, brought together more than 150 people, with the ambition of making the Square Mile the safest city area in the world.

Attendees were briefed on the most pressing security issues affecting the globe by experts from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI).

Keynote speaker Figen Murray, OBE, spoke about the importance of the proposed Protect Duty legislation, previously known as Martyn’s Law, and the need for more stringent security measures in public spaces. Figen has tirelessly campaigned for a change in the law following the death of her son Martyn Hett and 21 others, during the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017.

Paul Betts, Assistant Commissioner for Operations and Security at the City of London Police who attended the event said:

“Keeping people safe and feeling safe is a priority for the City of London Police. The City of London has huge historical, cultural, and economic importance and we are committed to making it a safe space for people to enjoy.

“It is important that we all remain resilient to the threat of terrorism. We can only combat that threat by working closely with our community, partners and other law enforcement agencies. CT2022 is a demonstration of this partnership approach.

“Coupled with our counter terrorism strategy and the Project Servator policing tactic, we are all working together to make it more difficult for terrorists and other criminals to operate in the City.”

Jonathan Brady, Head of Security for St Paul’s Cathedral, said:

“At St Paul’s Cathedral, we continue to work closely with Project Servator and the City of London Police.

“Our staff work with our visitors, volunteers and our neighbours to deliver a number of security and counter terrorism measures.

“Events like CT2022 are a great way to share information and best practice in order to keep all our staff and visitors to the Cathedral and the City of London, safe.”

Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs) gave an update on security training available to organisations venues and events, including See, Check and Notify (SCaN). This training empowers staff to identify suspicious activity and know what to do when they encounter it.

A new tool, which prompts security professionals to note down information that the police will want to know when they report suspicious activity, was showcased. The ‘Notify Pad’ is a paper notepad containing prompts for the type of information that should be included in a suspicious activity report. It will be trialled with a number of security teams in the City over the next three months.

CTSAs also talked about their work with business and residents to raise awareness of the risk of radicalisation and how to stay safe online, and the advice they provide on physical security measures.