PREVENT
The Prevent Strategy
The Government’s counter-terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST,
was developed following the 7 July London bombings, as it was
identified potential opportunities could have been identified if
measures had been in place. The strategy has been updated since
it’s inception, most recently in July 2011, and if formed of four
strands:
- Pursue: to stop terrorist attacks
occurring;
- Protect: to strengthen our protection against
a terrorist attack;
- Prepare: to mitigate the impact of a terrorist
attack;
- Prevent: to stop people becoming terrorists or
supporting terrorism.
The Prevent strategy deals with pre-criminal space- it is about
providing support, not criminalising- and was reviewed and updated
in June 2011. The revised strategy saw a shift away from general
cohesion and integration work, and the introduction of an
‘all-risks’ approach. This means that all threats and forms of
terrorism are dealt with proportionately. Al-Qaeda inspired
terrorism remains the biggest threat to the UK, however in some
areas of the county issues such as right-wing extremism may be more
prominent. The core tenet of the new strategy is for local risk to
be identified and assessed, and a proportionate response put in
place.
The Prevent strategy now has three objectives:
- Ideology: respond to the ideological challenge
of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it;
- Individuals: prevent people from being drawn
into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice
and support;
- Institutions: work with a wide range of
sectors (including in particular education, faith, health, the
internet and criminal justice) where there are risks of
radicalisation which we need to address.
Who do I contact?
Trust your instincts, all information is important.
If you wish to report suspicious activity contact Kent Police
on 101 or 999 in an
emergency, or the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789
321.
Further information
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