Learning Lessons from Countering Terrorism: the UK Experience 2017–2020

RESEARCH QUESTION: What lessons can be learned from counter-terrorism policing in a recent 3-year time period in which the UK suffered the loss of 41 lives by 12 terrorist attacks, with the concurrent successful disruption of 29 other attacks? DATA: A 2017 internal review into the 2017 attacks was undertaken by police and MI5, yielding 104 recommendations for improved practices. This list was later complemented by multiple reviews in 2018–2020 that led to more than 400 further recommendations for multiple counter terrorism partners. METHODS: Thematic analysis of these 500 + recommendations led to the author’s distillation, as a participant observer, of 8 key focal points for future efforts to prevent terrorist attacks. FINDINGS: Eight themes uniting the recommendations for developing future CT practice emerged from the internal reviews, raising complex issues of (1) data, (2) partnerships, (3) right-wing terrorism, (4) the 625,000 crowded public spaces in the UK, (5) online harm, (6) management of convicted terrorists, (7) domestic growth of terrorism replacing overseas direction and (8) earlier onset of terrorist commitments, from age 13. CONCLUSIONS: These thematic findings led to four conclusions: (a) the Protect Duty will provide an improved framework for countering terrorism, (b) we must adapt to the changing nature of terrorists, (c) we must increase our efforts against online harm and (d) we must renew and sustain our commitment to the Prevent pillar of the CONTEST strategy, which is now and shall be fit for purpose.