Counter Terrorism Policing’s Senior National Coordinator has again called upon the public to play their part in the fight against terrorism, as the Home Office released their quarterly arrest statistics.
The Home Office’s quarterly release of statistics relating to the police’s use of powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 revealed that the total number of counter terrorism-related arrests fell to 259 in the year to September 2019, a decrease of 20% on the previous year.
This is a continuation of the downward trend seen since the spike in arrests recorded in 2017/18 and returns the volume of arrests to around the average level since the current records began in 2002.
Of the 259 arrests 88 (34%) resulted in a charge, of which 62 were charged with terrorism-related offences. Of those 62, 24 were prosecuted while another 27 are still awaiting prosecution.
But while the last 12 months has seen a gradual reduction in both arrests and convictions, Deputy Assistant Haydon warned that the number of attack plots foiled by police and the security services continues to rise.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, Senior National Coordinator, said: “We are seeing the number of CT arrests gradually return to levels we experienced before 2017, and more in keeping with the average seen over the last 20 years.
“But even though the numbers of arrests are gradually declining and we have recently seen the terrorism threat level lowered from Severe to Substantial, we must continue to all play our part in this fight.
“The attack that claimed the lives of two people on Friday is a terrible reminder that we must remain vigilant, and that terrorism remains one of the greatest threats to our safety and security.
“With that in mind Counter Terrorism Policing recently launched our Festive campaign, asking the public to enjoy all the season has to offer.”
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