This is how Sheffield police plan to stop terrorists and other criminals as they create 'network of vigilance'

While we are used to seeing police officers attending incidents and catching sight of bobbies on the beat now and again, unexpectedly witnessing a huge police deployment descend on a nearby area can be unsettling.

But as part of Project Servator, which began its trial in Sheffield last month, not only will a variety of police resources be used to carry out the deployment itself, but there will also be officers on hand to reassure, and explain what is happening to, members of the public and staff from local businesses.

Sergeant Jonathan Simpson is South Yorkshire Police’s Project Servator co-ordinator and describes it as ‘unpredictable, highly-visible police deployments, involving a wide range of specially trained officers’.

What is Project Servator and where will it take place in Sheffield?

The tactics used as part of the operation will aim to identify and disrupt hostile reconnaissance, which the force defines as ‘the information gathering a criminal does when planning to commit a criminal act, including terrorist attacks’.

Sgt Simpson explained: “In effect with hostile reconnaissance any terrorists - by way of example - or a criminal if they’re planning some kind of action, criminal acts, terrorist acts, in order to plan that act, and to be what they think is successful they have to effectively undertake a reconnaissance of various things.

“So the essence of the tactic is to effectively disrupt that pattern of behaviour or that function they need in order to realise their tactic.”

He added: “When you do see the tactics first hand it’s the operation of specially-trained officers in uniform, and there will also be plain-clothed officers. And so that presence will provide reassurance to the public and the flip-side of the coin is it’s also effectively putting pressure on, or looking to disrupt, those criminals or would-be terrorists who are trying to obtain information.”

What will police in Sheffield be looking out for?

The officers will be supported by other assets and security measures, only some of which will be visible, such as police dogs and horses, armed officers, CCTV operators, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and police drones. Vehicle checkpoints will also be carried out.

Sgt Simpson said that South Yorkshire Police officers have been given specialist training, and as part of that, they seek to engage in ‘genuine collaborative working’ with both businesses and members of the public.

He added: “Because what we try to create is a network of vigilance. So we’ll deploy operational police officers but what we do as part of the actual training is engage with local businesses and the public so they act as eyes and ears as well so it’s a genuine buy-in from the community and local businesses.”

Sgt Simpson said the force wants to ‘recruit’ members of the public to their network of vigilance.

When asked what behaviour people should be on the look out for, and vigilant to, Sgt Simpson said: “If something doesn’t seem right, if you see an individual in a location, and they’re perhaps using their phone to film things, and have what we would describe as an unhealthy interest in security or barriers etc that’s an example of what we’d be looking at.”

The tactics which form Project Servator were first used in London in 2014, and officers from every police force which requests to use them are given special national training ahead of trialling them. They have since been deployed in several cities across the country including Leeds and Manchester.

If a force is is found to meet the required standards, they will then become an accredited Servator force.

The trial began in Sheffield last month, and is set to be rolled out across South Yorkshire.

Sgt Simpson said: “We’ve initially identified the area of Sheffield city centre as being the area for the trial phase and trial deployment, but we are deploying the tactics to other events and other areas in the region.”

"We’ve got some busy events in the region over the summer and that will provide us with the ideal opportunity to deploy tactics.”

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