The policing approach aimed at preventing violent extremism has not only become more sophisticated but has also not realised any widespread damage or harm to relationships between Muslim communities and the police.
These are the key findings of a new report commissioned by ACPO’s Terrorism and Allied Matters (TAM) business area.
In the most comprehensive study yet conducted, the research – conducted by the Universities’ Police Science Institute at Cardiff University (UPSI) – assesses the effects of policing in delivery of the Government’s current Prevent strategy among the Muslim communities of Britain.
The report identifies ways in which the delivery of Prevent policing can be further enhanced and improved.
Higher levels of trust and confidence
In addition to the improved Prevent policing structures and processes, the emerging findings from the evidence-led Cardiff University research suggest that Muslim communities have a higher level of trust and confidence in the police than the general population.
The report also highlights the fact that communities are increasingly taking the lead in challenging violent extremism, working in partnership with the police in order to do so.
In addition, the research clearly shows that levels of community cohesion within Muslim communities have recovered after a decline following the 2005 bombings in London, which suggests that Prevent is not having a negative impact upon community attitudes and perceptions.
There are a number of Prevent engagement initiatives designed to encourage debate and establish links between local policing and their communities, and the feedback from this work is said to be “extremely encouraging”. Indeed, it will assist in building bridges between the police and the Muslim communities.
Progress has been made in terms of community engagement in recent years, but according to an official statement on ACPO’s website the breadth and depth of the police’s reach into and across key communities needs to be built on.
Greater visibility in the Muslim communities
The report highlights that the police service has achieved greater ‘visibility’ among Muslim communities, although it does acknowledge that this fact alone doesn’t automatically translate into increased engagement.
However, Muslim men remain more positive about policing overall than the general population, but younger Muslims under the age of 35 have a less positive attitude towards the local police than their elder peers (a trait also typical in the general population).
Muslim communities do express a higher level of concern about disorder, hate crime and burglary when compared to the general population. Well-rounded neighbourhood policing strategies designed to tackle these issues will undoubtedly assist Prevent policing by creating increased levels of confidence in Muslim communities.
In addition, this could help shape opportunities for Prevent intervention activity to support vulnerable individuals.
Considerable investment in community engagement
Sir Norman Bettison, ACPO’s lead on Prevent and chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, welcomes the research findings and the indications that communities welcome the engagement around preventing violent extremism.
“This research is extremely encouraging,” explained Bettison. “The police service has invested considerable resources into community engagement within the Prevent arena, and significant progress has been made.”
Bettison insisted that the police service fully recognises that it’s still learning and has more work to do – in tandem with partner organisations – to fully engage with all communities as it moves forward.
“We have always made it clear that preventing violent extremism is a long term endeavour,” he added, “and that there’s no quick fix to the challenges we face.”
As far as Bettison’s concerned, the emerging findings from this research, together with the findings of the Government’s Prevent Review, will help the police refine its Prevent policing approach so that it becomes “more effective and reaches deeper into communities”.
Bettison concluded: “You have a 365 days per year relationship with communities to encourage a conversation about problems that matter to the police. It’s no good pitching up and saying: ‘We want your help’ if we have failed to respond to the day-to-day concerns of the community.”
Inform future Prevent policing activity
The emerging findings in the report will be used to inform future Prevent policing activity. These include the need to continue to effectively engage with communities around issues that resonate with them, while also maintaining local flexibility and adaptability in delivering Prevent intervention and support.
Speaking about the research, Professor Martin Innes of the Universities’ Police Science Institute at Cardiff University said: “In this research we have sought to shine a light upon counter-terrorism policing and the workings of the Prevent agenda.”
He continued: “Importantly, in terms of moving the public debate on, we have been able to develop an evidence-led approach based upon detailed interviews with police officers involved in delivering Prevent and representatives of a number of Muslim communities, together with national survey data.”
By way of conclusion, Professor Innes stated: “The evidence we have shows that, contrary to some claims, Prevent doesn’t appear to have caused damage to police relations with Muslim communities. The research also identifies a number of areas where the police service can improve its effectiveness in working in partnership with Muslim communities to counter the threats of violent extremism.”
Previous research from 2007
This latest report follows on from earlier research carried out by Universities’ Police Science Institute at Cardiff University in 2007 when the Prevent strategy was at an early stage.
That previous report addressed the need for the police service to operate a ‘hearts and minds’ strategy rather than just ‘eyes and ears’ to encourage people to convey information to them about individuals they think may be radicalising others, or who were vulnerable to being radicalised.
The 2007 research highlighted the need to build interventions that were deliberately designed to foster trust and confidence in the police, and to establish communication channels between communities and the police service.
Copies of the 2007 ‘Hearts, Minds, Eyes and Ears’ research and the latest report entitled ‘Assessing the Effects of Prevent Policing’ (prepared by the Universities’ Police Science Institute at Cardiff University) are available to download on the ACPO website under the ‘Reports’ tab in the ‘Professional Practice’ section (access the dedicated link on the right hand panel of this page)
The Government has conducted a review of Prevent across all Government Departments as part of a wider review of the counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST. The results of both reviews will be published shortly
The Martin Innes research has informed these reviews
