A new, confidential national freephone Police Prevent Advice Line – 0800 011 3764 – is for someone to ring at any time, if they are worried a loved one may be becoming radicalised during the pandemic.
Police have seen a reduction in referrals, typically from healthcare workers and schools and colleges since the first lockdown; as aired by a senior counter-terrorism police speaker at Consec, the annual conference of the Association of Security Consultants (ASC), in October, as featured in the November print edition of Professional Security magazine.
From the start of lockdown on March 23 to Monday, June 22, referrals decreased by 31 per cent compared with the same period in 2019, said Detective Superintendent Jane Corrigan, head of London Prevent.
She said: “Relatives and friends are best placed to spot worrying behaviour at an early stage and can help the person they care about get the support they need to move away from extremism, yet only four per cent of referrals to my team in the past year were made by friends and families. This is particularly troubling during a period when people are spending more time at home and not in places – like schools – where worrying behaviour might otherwise be spotted.”
Hence the new helpline. A caller doesn’t have to provide their details, or details of their loved ones if they would prefer not to, although this information may help ensure appropriate support is provided. Anyone can be susceptible to radicalisation, police say.
Det Supt Corrigan added: “One phone call to the new advice line could be the difference between a loved one ending up hurting themselves and others, or them getting the help they need to choose a positive life path, away from harmful activities and people. As a mother myself, I can understand the idea of ringing the helpline may seem daunting but I would reassure you that it’s staffed by specially-trained officers – many of them parents themselves – who are ready and waiting to listen to you and provide expert advice.”
Advice on radicalisation – including the signs to look for – can also be found on the new ACT Early website.
Every year, Det Supt Corrigan’s officers receive hundreds of referrals relating to people due to concerns of radicalisation. In the 12 months from November 2019, there were 804 such referrals – a decrease of 13 per cent on the previous year, when 921 referrals were made. Most referrals relate to Islamist extremist and right-wing ideologies. Islamist extremism-related referrals continue to account for the biggest single group.
Despite an overall decrease in referrals relating to young people aged 19 and under, they still accounted for 36 per cent of all referrals in the last 12 months, police add.
Det Supt Corrigan said: “During these times when people are isolated and increasingly spending time online, where there is a risk of exposure to radicalising material, it’s more important than ever that friends and families are looking for early signs of radicalisation. The process of radicalisation can happen incredibly quickly – we’ve seen cases where it has happened within weeks even – so I would really urge families to pick up the phone or go to the new website for advice as soon as they identify something may be wrong.
“My team’s role is to assess whether there is something to be concerned about and, if there is, how we and our partners can help the person involved and their families. Whether they choose to receive support is entirely a matter for them – it’s completely voluntary. Sometimes it turns out there is nothing to be worried about, in which case we can give the worried caller peace of mind. Other times there may not be a risk of radicalisation but we identify a different safeguarding concern instead. In those cases, we work with our partners to ensure the individual gets offered the opportunity for the right support from the appropriate professionals.
“Whatever happens, we’ll never tell the person you’re worried about that you called us, unless you say we can.”
More at https://act.campaign.gov.uk/.
