Crowded Places
The threat the United Kingdom faces from international terrorism is a seamless one. It is no longer easily divided into foreign affairs, defence or domestic affairs. It is one where the capabilities of those who seek to attack the United Kingdom and its communities are significant and potentially increasing.
Attacks around the world have shown that terrorists will attack those targets they perceive as being attractive. Amongst the likely targets for international terrorists are locations with comparatively limited protective security measures which afford the potential for terrorists to cause mass casualties. The bomb attacks on the London underground and bus in July 2005 serve as a stark reminder of the challenges that we face.
To counter this threat, the United Kingdom’s response must also be seamless. We must work together collectively and for the common good.
To achieve this, the Government has divided the CONTEST strategy into four principal strands: Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare and set up programmes and plans to give these effect. The work of NaCTSO is primarily concerned with the Protect and Prepare strands of this strategy.
The Protect strand is concerned with reducing the vulnerability of the UK and UK interests overseas to a terrorist attack. This covers a range of issues including:
- crowded places; protecting people going about their daily lives.
The crowded places work focusses on enhancing the protective security advice available to those who own or operate venues or places that may be more vulnerable to attack. The whole community has a part to play in devising and implementing measures that are dynamic, flexible, agile and adaptive. In drawing up advice, we will always seek the input of those who know most about their areas of responsibility.
In support of the crowded places work, NaCTSO has recently developed and published guides for Sporting Stadia, Arenas (2.2mb pdf), Shopping Centres (2.8mb pdf), (Shopping Centres - Scotland 7.3mb pdf) Bars, Pubs and Clubs (2.4mb pdf), (Bars, Pubs and Clubs - Scotland 3.5mb pdf) and Visitor Attractions (6.4mb pdf). CTSAs have been tasked with liaising with such sites in order to help deliver the guidance contained within the documents. NaCTSO urges such sites to ‘Raise the Bar’ (74kb pdf) on security.
Scotland Versions:
