‘Prevent’ is one of four strands of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. The overall aim of ‘Prevent ‘is to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism.
The Government refreshed the Prevent strategy on 7th June 2011. This strategy is to replace the previous strategy which the Government concluded in their review as flawed because it:
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confused the delivery of Government policy to promote integration with that to prevent violent extremism, and
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failed to tackle the extremist ideology at the heart of the threat faced.
The new strategy has the following changes in direction:
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It includes all forms of terrorism, proportionate to the threat that they pose to national security. However it still recognises that we must target resources against those forms of terrorism that pose the greatest risk and that the greatest current threat to national security comes from Al Qa'ida, its affiliates and like-minded groups;
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Local delivery of the strategy will be focused on 25 priority local authority areas, based on the specific risks and threats and not on the basis of broad demographics. Selection has been made on the basis of the risk of radicalisation in the area, not on the risk of being the location of a terrorist attack or that there are terrorists in the area. Leicester is one of these areas;
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It makes a clearer distinction between counter terrorist work and the Government's proposed new integration strategy. The community cohesion/building resilience elements of the old strategy will now be covered in the integration strategy which is expected to be released soon;
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There will be much tighter controls over Prevent funding, including over the groups that can receive monies, and a focus on following up to ensure projects deliver the right results.
What is the difference between community cohesion and Prevent?
Community cohesion is about bringing communities together so that different groups of people from different backgrounds can integrate and get on well with each other.
In Prevent we need a targeted approach that deals with a specific threat, builds resilience to extremist messages at a community level and works to counter the global terrorist ideology.
A community in which extremism is challenged builds relationships that increase community cohesion and racial equality. Equally, a community that is cohesive is likely to be more resilient to extremists who seek to divide it.
Leicester’s approach
Leicester is a thriving and cohesive city made up of many communities, cultures, faiths and beliefs. With a commitment to creating a positive environment where difference is valued and celebrated, Leicester works to improve these relations and encourage greater understanding and contact between people and communities.
Many parts of the UK and abroad face a threat from terrorism and violent extremism, and like many other cities in the UK, Leicester is also at risk from this threat. There is a very small minority that seek to harm innocent people in the name of an ideology which causes division, hatred and violence. This threatens to upset the good values and cohesiveness that Leicester proudly upholds.
Leicestershire Constabulary and other enforcement agencies have put in place security measures to keep people safe, but a security response alone is not enough. For long-term solutions to the problem, Leicester has a strong partnership approach to take preventative action and strengthen our communities.
The new strategy comprises three key objectives which build on key elements of the last Prevent programmes. These are:
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To respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and of those extremist views conducive to it. It means ensuring that people engaged in radicalisation do not take advantage of public spaces – libraries, education, prisons to name just three – and that their activities are restricted;
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To prevent vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism by developing and expanding programmes to identify who they are and then to provide them with support; and
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To do much more with the wide range of sectors and institutions where the ideology, the ideologues and vulnerable people come together and where there are either risks of radicalisation or opportunities to prevent it – or both. That means education, health, faith, charities, prisons and probation, and the particular and vital issue of the internet.
Achieving these objectives will help to create a situation where:
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people speak out and contradict extremist messages where they come across them in public and private spaces;
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people recognise the warning signs of extremism and act on them appropriately;
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people who may be at risk have the support, confidence and knowledge to resist extremist messages; and
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communities are equipped to reject violent extremism and marginalise and undermine those actively peddling the ideology, whilst supporting those who are vulnerable.
By delivering the Prevent agenda, Leicester is supporting other crime reduction work and overall strengtheniing community safety in the city. By working together to refute the terrorist narrative, and by promoting cohesion, it can prevent criminal activity which threatens to harm the city. In this way the long term vision of the city is preserved ensuring that the people of Leicester will feel confident about themselves, their neighbourhoods, their city and their future. Ultimately ensuring Leicester is a safe place to live.
Further information
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/counter-terrorism/uk-counter-terrorism-strat/prevent/
Contact
Kalvaran Sandhu
Leicester Partnership Team
0116 252 6792
kalvaran.sandhu@leicester.gov.uk
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