myAIPMHow has the COVID-19 pandemic affected counter-terrorism policing?
David Page | Policing Insight
The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for all sectors of policing. David Page, a former police officer who specialised in intelligence and counter-terrorism (CT), and who is now a university lecturer and consultant, explores the impact of the pandemic on CT.
There’s little doubt that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on many areas of law enforcement, and the nature of counter-terrorism (CT) policing – from the need for specialist staff, to interactions and communication with intelligence sources and partners, and the surveillance requirement – represents significant challenges. In this article I focus on five key factors regarding the impact of the pandemic on CT policing:
- Availability of staff
- Access and communications with CHIS
- Access and communications with communities
- Impact upon key intelligence partners, notably the Security Service
- Difficulties with physical surveillance when streets are empty, and the public are in lockdown.
Availability of staff
On March 22 2020, Policy Exchange published its Policing a pandemic paper – co-authored by Richard Walton, former head of the Met Police Service Counter-Terrorism Command (CTC) – which prompted several public responses.
A short summary of the report was featured here on Policing Insight; I commented on the article, highlighting that the paper overlooked the issue of shrinking numbers of police personnel, sworn officers and civilian staff due to the virus.
Commenting in an article in the Daily Telegraph a few days later, Peter Fahy, the former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, warned that police were “already very stretched” with one in 10 officers self-isolating or off sick. In the same article an un-named senior officer added: “We are significantly stretched at the best of times, but we estimate we will lose around 30% of officers and staff through illness, self-isolation and looking after others.”
At that time NYPD had reported that six per cent of its officers were ill. By May 11, eight weeks into the pandemic, it was stated [1] that 20% of NYPD officers were absent from duty, with 41 dead; 5,000 had tested positive for COVID-19 – although 90% were now back at work – and 500 officers in admin posts had been re-allocated to support patrols. However, the suggestion of moving to 12-hour shifts was rejected.
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How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected counter-terrorism policing? David Page, Policing Insight, 2020