Dame Cressida Dick:
Twenty years ago, the world looked on as one of the most devastating terrorist attacks played out on television screens. I was newly appointed as a commander in the Met at the time. I watched on the 9th floor of Scotland Yard as the events unfolded. I realised they would not only have a seismic impact in the US, but the reverberations would be felt in the UK and across the entire world. In the weeks that followed, I worked with government and policing colleagues as part of the UK’S response. The relatively new role of family liaison officer was at the centre of our policing effort, providing families of British victims with support and advice.
It was harrowing work for all involved. New York in the aftermath was so sad. I met many bereaved families, injured people, survivors and rescuers. New York was horribly wounded and the plume of smoke above Ground Zero was ever-present. But I also saw the most extraordinary and inspiring courage, selflessness, humanity and resilience. New York, our wonderful sister city, did not bow down, did not become divided. Nor has London when it has been attacked. We don’t give in to terrorism.
Out of all that horror and loss came some good things. In the Met, we learnt how to work really closely with our communities to reduce tensions, reprisals and hate crime. Fear was high across London and even more so in some communities. I will never forget the way our Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and Muslim police associations worked together to reassure Londoners.
We cemented our relationships with international colleagues and learnt how to better investigate and protect people and places, to prevent attacks.
9/11 was a watershed moment, confirming that terrorism was a global threat that required a global response.
Since then, the terrorism landscape has shifted. What began as our response to the threat from Islamist terror groups such as al-qaeda in the early 2000s has continued through to confronting Daesh and extreme Right-wing groups.
That shift has gathered pace in recent years with advances in communications technology. Terrorist groups have exploited this to reach and recruit anyone, anywhere and at any time through social media and the internet. The threat of terrorist cells being directed from overseas has been added to by that of individuals carrying out rudimentary attacks. The current focus on encryption by many big tech companies is serving to make our job to identify and stop these people even harder, if not impossible in some cases.
Our approach and capability has also evolved. The way police work with our security services has been at the heart of that. Just as terrorists have exploited technology to their advantage, so have we, by constantly developing our digital capabilities. Here in the UK and in the Met, we’ve led the way – a prime example being the world’s first Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit, which has been replicated across the globe. And it’s because of the changes and improvements we’ve made, that police, alongside the security services, have foiled numerous murderous plots in the past 20 years. Sadly, some plots have resulted in loss of life.
Deadly attacks have, in part, shaped our counter-terrorism capability in the UK, which I believe to be amongst the best in the world. This vital work has saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives in the UK and abroad.
Those successes would not have been possible, were it not for the dedicated, skilled people working in countering terrorism over the past two decades. But, that alone is not enough.
We’re increasingly working with other organisations and businesses in the private and public sector to further strengthen the UK’S position against terrorism. The support and help we get from the public has been vital too.
The future, as ever, is uncertain – as exemplified by the situation in Afghanistan as we wait to see how events there might once again impact the terrorism landscape. But I am confident that we continue to develop the exceptional capabilities that will give our counter-terrorism officers the best chance of successfully confronting threats over the next 20 years. The new Counter Terrorism Operations Centre in London is at the heart of that – bringing together all those involved in countering terrorism under one roof, in a state-of-the-art facility.
Constant vigilance is required. We need the public to be our eyes and ears and report suspicious activity. We need people to act early and get in touch if they’re concerned about somebody, so we might help those vulnerable to radicalisation. We need to continually and collectively reject the hate-filled ideologies that terrorists peddle.
As we remember everyone whose lives were lost or wrecked on that terrible day on September 11, 2001, we should remember that only by working together can we hope to defeat them.