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Thousands of people across the country will be attending celebratory events this weekend, ranging from official Coronation ceremonies in Central London, to local street parties and community events.
‘As we celebrate together, let’s keep each other safe’ is the advised message from Counter Terrorism Police ahead of the festivities.
Whilst the awareness campaign is not in response to any specific threat or intelligence, the threat to the UK from terrorism remains Substantial (meaning an attack is likely).
Fortunately, terrorist incidents do not occur regularly, but we know an attack could occur anywhere, at any time.
Publicly Accessible Locations present an attractive potential target to terrorists, especially when considering the increased crowds brought by events such as Coronation celebrations, and potentially less sophisticated security protection at community organised events.
Therefore, we must all remain vigilant, alert and aware of suspicious behaviours, to make sure the celebrations are safe, secure and enjoyable for all, no matter how big or small the event may be.
Your role as an event goer:
If you’re out celebrating over the Coronation bank holiday weekend, you can keep each other safe by:
- Being alert and aware of your surroundings.
- Trusting your instincts and reporting any suspicious behaviour online, to a local security officer, to event staff or a Police Officer.
- In an emergency always call 999.
Your role as an event organiser:
If you are organising or volunteering at a local event, such as a street party, then the terrorism threat should be considered and adequately planned for. You have a responsibility to ensure that the event is safe and secure, and to consider the risk.
Practical steps that you can take to facilitate a safe and secure event include:
- Downloading the ProtectUK Coronation weekend toolkit: Vigilance Communications Toolkit for The Coronation | ProtectUK
- Share the content on your social media channels.
- Display the assets in high footfall areas.
- Making sure your staff and volunteers are briefed on what to do if something suspicious is reported and include a Terrorism threat briefing in the event planning preparations.
- Make use of low cost, simple, yet effective risk mitigation measures such as:
- Vehicle deterrence measures. E.g., street furniture or closing of roads in coordination with Local Authority.
- Conducting a search of your event space, prior to festivities beginning.
- Ensure you and your staff can recognise suspicious packages – the H.O.T. protocols can be useful to assess if something is suspicious; Hidden, Obvious e.g. suspicious wires, or not Typical of the environment.
- Consider effective communications in the event of an emergency, e.g. WhatsApp groups, air horns to alert event goers of danger.
Speak to your local Police liaison if you need more support in making sure your event is a safe and secure Coronation celebration.
Author:
Calum Ronald, Senior Risk Consultant