Counter-Terrorism: The London debate

Keeping Londoners and others safe from terrorism is not a job solely for governments, security services or police. If we are to make London the safest major city in the world, we must mobilise against terrorism not only the resources of the state, but also the active support of the millions of people who live and work in the capital. We must all work together if we are to detect terrorist activity, and, even more importantly, deter people from within our own communities from becoming terrorists. Only then can we hope to prevent a repetition of what happened here in London on 7 July 2005, or worse.

To achieve this we must build trust between police and the communities they serve. We can do this only if we understand fully the concerns of every section or our society. This is why we engaged directly over 1,000 London residents and workers in ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, a year-long, wide-ranging enquiry into the causes and effects of terrorism amongst our diverse communities.

Counter-Terrorism: The London debate [PDF document]
This report was debated in public by members of the MPA and the Commissioner of the MPS on 22 February 2007.

Two messages stand out amidst all that we heard. Firstly, there is profound support, across all communities, for the police’s counter-terrorist effort. Secondly, there is a real fragility to public trust in the authorities. If the Metropolitan Police Service is to tackle terrorism effectively, it must harness this support and recognise this fragility.

The report makes 73 recommendations for the Metropolitan Police Service, MI5, the IPCC, Police Authorities, local, regional and national government, businesses, the media, and communities themselves. We are now working to secure the implementation of these recommendations. The MPA is determined that this piece of work should deliver real change for the better in the way we tackle terrorism in London and the United Kingdom.

If you have any comments or questions regarding ‘Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate’, please contact Siobhan Coldwell at the MPA at siobhan.coldwell@mpa.gov.uk, telephone: 020 7202 0234, fax: 020 7202 0200 or minicom 020 7202 0173.

Press releases

Date	No	Title
02 Jul 07	33/07	MPA statement in response to criticism of Sir Ian Blair's role in current counter-terrorist activity
29 Jun 07	31/07	MPA reassures Londoners - The police are doing everything to protect our city
29 May 07	25/07	New Counter-Terrorism '‘stop and question’ powers are not needed: Len Duvall, MPA chair
22 Feb 07	15/07	MPA publishes recommendations to improve UK response to terrorism
13 Feb 07	09/07	MPA statement regarding IPCC independent investigations into complaints made following the Forrest Gate counter-terrorist operation on 2 June 2006
11 Dec 06	75/06	Counter-Terrorism stop and search powers called into question
06 Dec 06	74/06	'Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate' - police and government respond to Londoners' views
29 Nov 06	72/06	Drawing Londoners together to tackle terrorism is tough
15 Nov 06	69/06	'Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate' - MPA to hear from Asian men
06 Oct 06	64/06	MPA - listen to women for a different perspective on dealing with terrorism
04 Oct 06	63/06	'Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate' - Women to voice their views to MPA
28 Sep 06	61/06	'Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate' - MPA takes the debate to London's local communities
08 Sep 06	54/06	MPA - faith plays an important role in community cohesion
01 Sep 06	52/06	'Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate' - Metropolitan Police Authority hears from faith communities
12 Jul 06	41/06	Capital resilience - MPA listens to London's demands for tougher infrastructure
05 Jul 06	39/06	'Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate' - MPA hears how terrorism affects capital's democracy and economy
30 Jun 06	38/06	MPA – 'Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate' - Commissioner Hears Young People's Concerns
21 Jun 06	36/06	MPA – Counter-Terrorism: The London Debate

Metropolitan Police Authority

Counter-Terrorism: The London debate

Press releases