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Prevent / Counter Terrorism

Information about Prevent, countering terrorism and how to report concerns

UK Counter Terrorism Strategy

The Counter Terrorism strategy involves many organisations, including the Police, emergency services, local authorities, businesses, voluntary and community organisations and other partners - working together across the UK to protect the public.

The strategy has four elements:

  • Pursue - to stop terrorist attacks
  • Protect - to strengthen our protection against terrorist attack
  • Prepare - where an attack cannot be stopped, to lessen its impact
  • Prevent - to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism

What does Prevent mean?

Prevent is about identifying people who may be at risk of radicalisation and supporting them to change direction in a way that will help them.

It is about working with communities to help them support vulnerable people and build resilience against groups or individuals who seek to create divisions and cause harm.

There are only a very small number of people who support terrorist activity, or are likely to. The vast majority of people, in all communities, want to see terrorism prevented, and want to play their part as good citizens in helping to make that happen.

Prevent work covers all forms of extremism and terrorism and operates in the non-criminal space.

Prevent strategy has three specific strategic objectives.

  • Ideology - challenging the ideology that supports terrorism and those that support it
  • Individuals - protecting vulnerable people from getting involved in or supporting terrorism
  • Institutions - supporting sectors & institutions where there are risks of radicalisation

What is happening in Lincolnshire? 

Community engagement

Lincolnshire's approach to Prevent will be to help communities to identify and challenge violent extremism in an appropriate way. Community engagement will also help to identify the local, national or international issues and events that may drive people to support violent extremist causes.

Training

Prevent work includes training staff who work in communities or with individuals and families to spot people who may be at risk of supporting terrorism or extremism and refer them for support (for example to Channel). This is similar to safeguarding people who may be at risk from abuse or grooming.

Opportunities for communities to debate issues relating to extremism

Prevent work will include opportunities for people to learn about, debate and question issues that can be linked to extremism. As the UK faces a continuing threat from both international and domestic terrorism, no one is better placed than members of the public to notice extremist activity within their own community.

Running a support programme

The programme, called 'Channel' assesses people who are vulnerable to terrorism or supporting terrorism and are provided with multi-agency support. Individuals referred to this programme are not criminals, but may be at risk of committing an offence if not supported.  Participation in Channel is voluntary and requires consent to be given by the individual (or their parent/guardian in the case of a child) in advance of support measures being put in place.

For more information on the Channel process, please visit the Lincolnshire Police Prevent website.

Terrorist or extremist activity can be recognised in a variety of forms and just a few of them include:

  • Giving out leaflets or displaying posters that carry a violent extremist message
  • Looking at violent extremist forums or websites, perhaps in internet cafes
  • Extremist groups meeting in private or community centres
  • Watching terrorist or violent extremist promotional videos

If you need advice or information, please contact:

Lincolnshire County Council on 01522 552222 and ask for the Prevent Officer or via email at the LCC Prevent team

Report it

If you have an enquiry or a concern that someone you know is drawn to extremism, report it to prevent@lincs.police.uk or call 101 and ask for the Prevent Team.

You can also use the Prevent referral form (opens new window)

For immediate threats, such as a suspicious package or vehicle, always call 999.

Report online material promoting extremism (opens new window) via the Gov.uk website