Friday, May 29, 2009 - 08:22 AM

I recently attended a counter terrorism lecture, part of our ongoing training with regard to the problem of terrorist activities in this country. What’s that got to do with the communities served by this website I hear you cry. My answer to that is that it has everything to do with us. Terrorism is not something, which is going to go away, it affects us all. The terrorist and the cause may have changed, but what has not changed since my time as a police officer in London during the early 80’s, at the height of the IRA troubles is the need for us all to play a part in combating this problem. Terrorists may well target high profile sites in our major cities but they live and work and plan their crimes while living as our next-door neighbours, in our communities. That makes us all best placed to notice and report suspicious activity, which may be linked to terrorism.

How often after an attack have people been surprised that those responsible have lived in their street, shopped in the same shops. Then all of a sudden that odd behaviour, the strange comings and goings all make sense, but it’s too late then.

Last year in a parish nearby we were called to a house fire in a quiet residential street. The happy chilled out members of the fire service, refusing to use their breathing apparatus were an indication that something odd was going on, just joking, they had stumbled on a house being used to grow cannabis. All right this had nothing to do with terrorism, but it proves a point, for when we started talking to neighbours many mentioned having seen odd activity related to the property, none of which had been reported.

So please if you do have concerns or suspicions let us know, don’t wait until after the attack.

Antony Wiles PC8024 – Borough Green