Policing Terrorism: A Review of the Evidence

The London bombings in July 2005 have changed society and how it is policed. The government has necessarily focused its efforts on passing new legislation to improve the security of the nation, but the longer term task of illuminating the causes of terrorism committed by British nationals and the role of effective community engagement in this also needs to be urgently addressed. Establishing and maintaining the right balance between security and liberty is crucial to the health of a democratic society and an independent assessment of the impact of the new anti-terrorism legislation needs to be undertaken. This review aims to identify what is known and what is not known about contemporary terrorism and considers how to improve the exchange of information and intelligence between communities, local police and security services and; assesses how the police could improve levels of trust and legitimacy in communities that may be characterised by high levels of tension and alienation, particularly with regard to relationships between the police and young British Muslim men. The review concludes by setting out a programme for future research.