Counter-terrorism initiative launched in London

A London-wide counter-terrorism initiative which will see hundreds of specially trained officers on patrol at potential terrorist targets has been launched.

Project Servator sees the deployment of both highly visible and covert Metropolitan Police officers, ready to swarm locations at short notice in order to deter, detect and disrupt criminal and terrorist activity.

The deployments can happen anywhere and at any time at locations including shopping centres, tourist attractions and transport hubs, undertaken by police officers trained to spot the tell-tale signs of individuals who may have criminal intent.

Project Servator has already been in place for four years with City of London Police, and was trialled in Wandsworth and Lambeth last year.

In the past four years, City of London Police have conducted 938 searches leading to 547 arrests due to Servator deployments.

Counter terrorism tactic Project Servator goes live across the whole of London https://t.co/GIF4gDWwlW pic.twitter.com/iI61UbzPaO

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 5, 2018

Superintendent Nick Aldworth said that traditional techniques for stopping terrorism have not worked against new, simpler terrorist attack methods.

"When we look globally and nationally, we have seen that terrorists now use simple methodologies that perhaps have evaded some of our traditional techniques for countering terrorism," he said.

"In terms of specific methodologies, we put a lot of time and energy into future forecasting.

"We look at Syria and some of the things that are happening there, and how that might be migrated back into the UK.

"That's an ongoing piece of work, not only by us but through our intelligence services colleagues as well."

The new methodologies used by terrorists in the UK include using vehicles as weapons.

The London Bridge and Finsbury Park attacks both saw rented vans mow down and kill members of the public, while a car was used to kill people on Westminster Bridge last year.

- Press Association and Digital Desk