SIR – I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE progress of SMT as well as SITO and the UK police authorities with regards to preparedness for – and the fight against – the ongoing terrorist threat.

As a reserve police officer from the Republic of South Africa with more than 12 years’ security and policing-related experience gained in a violent society, I was quite astonished to discover the extent to which UK security and policing services work hand-in-hand.

Late last summer and then in September, both the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police joined forces with SITO to provide a series of Counter-Terrorism Awareness Days relating to Project Griffin. More than 500 security managers and officers attended these hands-on events, for which SITO provides the certification.

What a great idea for fighting the terrorists in the City! I would encourage these organisations to schedule such training courses on counter-terrorism measures on a much wider scale.

I would also suggest that SITO and the SIA devise and compile related courses in counter-terrorism for the UK security sector at large as soon as they possibly can. They could be in much the same vein as those run in the United States under the banner ‘Anti-Terrorism Officer’.

We all know that terrorism is a real and present danger. The terrorists could strike anywhere at any time.

On that basis, I hope that SITO will make a Counter-Terrorism course part of its regular training curriculum as soon as possible.

Until then, could SITO, the City of London Police or the Metropolitan Police advise on when the next Project Griffin events will be run?

Leandro De Beer, South African Police Service

Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to write to us, Leandro. It’s always

a pleasure to receive correspondence from security officers ‘on the ground’. Having consulted with SITO, we’ve been advised that all security managers and officers wishing to find out more information on Project Griffin should contact Superintendent Ken Stewart of the City of London Police (tel: 020 7601 2601) or Don Randall (vice-president of JP Morgan Chase & Co) on 020 7325 4923.

Source

SMT