Thames Valley Police report they are taking steps to reassure local communities after a man, mistakenly believed to be a suicide bomber, was recently shot dead by the Metropolitan Police.
Each of the forceโs five Basic Command Units is holding a meeting of its Independent Advisory Group (IAG) to provide information to community representatives and find out if there are any further actions the force can take to reassure local people.
The forceโs Community and Race Relations Officers (CARROs) are continuing their work liaising with community leaders; and officers are maintaining a visible presence at railway stations throughout Thames Valley.
What they say
ACC Francis Habgood said: โUnderstandably there may well be an increase in the nervousness and fear felt by our communities following the fatal shooting in London.
โWhile every effort will be made to ensure that this does not happen in Thames Valley, we cannot guarantee that it wonโt because of the climate officers are now operating in. In the modern era of terrorism it is essential that police are able to deploy appropriate tactics when necessary, while remaining accountable to the law, in order to safeguard the public against mass murder. What I can say is that no police action is targeted against particular communities. We seek to target only suspected criminals in order to protect the whole of society and we need the publicโs help to do that.โ
