London security: Six things Sadiq Khan is considering to tackle terrorism in the capital
London mayor Sadiq Khan is considering a range of new ways in which to tackle potential terror attacks in the capital, after the publication of a new report on the city's preparedness to deal with threats.
The report comes a week after a potential attack was thwarted when a suspicious package was found on a Tube train at North Greenwich station. Police arrested a 19-year-old man last Friday under the Terrorism Act and he has since been charged with having an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury. The threat level in London remains severe.
The mayor commissioned the review of London's security strategy in May, with Lord Toby Harris of Haringey leading the project. Today, Lord Harris made 127 recommendations for the mayor, the government and other agencies to consider.
“I am extremely grateful to Lord Toby Harris who has produced a significant, in-depth piece of work," said Khan.
"His findings and events in the last week remind us what a fantastic job our police officers and emergency services do every day to keep us safe. But there is more that can be done by a wide range of organisations, and Lord Harris’s many recommendations deserve careful consideration and exploration over the coming months so we can take steps to ensure we are as prepared as possible.”
These are six of the standout measures Lord Harris has called for:
1. A London-wide pilot of a new public alert system
This would mean Londoners can be advised of a major terrorist attack with messages sent direct to mobile devices. The reports notes that the UK government previously explored this technology with trials in North Yorkshire, Glasgow and Suffolk in 2013. As the Cabinet Office explained, the strengths of the system were that “it would not require the government or local responders to know individual personal numbers. It would also not require people to sign up to receive messages. Instead, the idea is that if you are in an area where an emergency occurs then you will be sent a location-based alert which will convey important protective action for you to take”.
2. More CCTV on public transport – and better monitoring of the footage
The report advises that CCTV should be available on ALL underground and mainline trains, and also recommends that the Metropolitan Police should work with the British Transport Police to " see how live CCTV streaming could be introduced to all parts of London where it might have value".
3. Taxi drivers could be taught how to prevent a terrorist attack
Lord Harris said TfL should work with taxi and private hire companies – including Uber – to ensure that drivers have a good level of awareness about how to prevent a terrorist attack "through a clear understanding of what constitutes suspicious behaviour".
4. London City Airport's security strategy will be examined
The report calls for a "full review of perimeter security at London City Airport" to be conducted by the Met Police and airport management.
5. More police officers to be given Tasers
Action should be urgently taken to approve the new conductive energy device (i.e. Taser stunning devices) as a less lethal option for policing, the report said, and the mayor and the police commissioner should look into "whether there is a case for equipping more, properly trained and supervised, officers with CEDs". The Met recently announced a huge rollout of body cameras, with 22,000 officers to be given new recording devices.
6. UK businesses to be more involved in anti-terrorism measures
The report contains a range of recommendations involving UK businesses – Lord Harris said there "should be discussions with the insurance industry, so that businesses and venues are required to obtain and act on advice in return for lower premiums". He also said police and security services "should consider producing a regular newsletter – perhaps once a fortnight – put together with business in order to ensure that it meets their needs, which can provide up to date, and specific, guidance", which would then be distributed to heads of security in businesses, business groups and placed online for others.