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Police call for increased public vigilance despite arrests drop

Counter Terrorism Policing has called upon the public to play their part in the fight against terrorism, as the Home Office released their quarterly arrest statistics.

The statistics, relating to the police’s use of powers under the Terrorism Act 2000, show that the total number of counter terrorism-related arrests fell to 259 in the year to September 2019, a decrease of 20 per cent on the previous year.

The data highlights a continuation of the downward trend seen since the spike in arrests recorded in 2017/18, and returns the volume of arrests to around the average level since the current records began in 2002.

But while the last 12 months has seen a gradual reduction in both arrests and convictions, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon has warned that the number of attack plots foiled by police and the security services continues to rise.

Dean Haydon said: “We are seeing the number of CT arrests gradually return to levels we experienced before 2017, and more in keeping with the average seen over the last 20 years. But even though the numbers of arrests are gradually declining and we have recently seen the terrorism threat level lowered from Severe to Substantial, we must continue to all play our part in this fight.

“The attack that claimed the lives of two people on Friday (29 November) is a terrible reminder that we must remain vigilant, and that terrorism remains one of the greatest threats to our safety and security. With that in mind Counter Terrorism Policing recently launched our Festive campaign, asking the public to enjoy all the season has to offer but to be our extra eyes and ears when out and about in busy towns and cities. If anyone sees anything that causes them concerns, tell staff, security or contact police at gov.uk/ACT. In an emergency always call 999.”

Of the 259 arrests, 88 resulted in a charge, of which 62 were charged with terrorism-related offences. Of those 62, 24 were prosecuted while another 27 are still awaiting prosecution.

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