Counter Terrorism Policing is the national collaboration of police forces working to prevent, deter, and investigate terrorism in the United Kingdom.[1] [2]
The network is governed by the National Police Collaboration Agreement Relating to Counter Terrorism Activities Made Under Section 22A of the Police Act 1996. The network is accountable to the United Kingdom Government and the National Police Chiefs' Council Counter Terrorism Coordination Committee which is chaired by the Metropolitan Police Service Assistant Commissioner of Specialist Operations (ACSO) who also acts as the Head of Counter Terrorism Policing. The network is also functionally coordinated by two Senior National Coordinators who are usually Metropolitan Police Service Deputy Assistant Commissioners co-located within the Counter Terrorism Command.
Counter Terrorism Policing stretches across the United Kingdom and sees specialist officers and staff working with the Home Office, MI5 and other intelligence, security and criminal justice agencies around the world. It is made up of dedicated regional Counter Terrorism Units and national police units and is responsible for the delivery of the policing contribution to the CONTEST strategy.
The Australian Federal Police's Joint Counter-Terrorism Teams, Canada's Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams, and the United States' Joint Terrorism Task Force model can be seen as analogous to Counter Terrorism Policing.
The Counter Terrorism Coordination Committee (CTCC) of the National Police Chiefs' Council is a national coordination body made of chief officers of the nine regional lead counter terrorism police forces and other thematic leads alongside senior representatives of government departments and other agencies including the Home Office and MI5. It is chaired by Metropolitan Police Service Assistant Commissioner of Specialist Operations.
The CTCC is the focal point for on counter terrorism policing and related issues and is responsible for developing national counter terrorism and domestic extremism strategic policy through the Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters (CTPHQ). The CTCC also liaises with government and other partners on behalf of UK police forces. The CTCC is also staffed by a small number of chief police officers dedicated full-time to providing strategic direction and coordination relating to particular counter terrorism policing themes.[2]
The Counter Terrorism Policing Senior Leadership as defined by the National Counter Terrorism Collaboration Agreement as the CTCC Chair, Vice Chair(s)s, the Senior National Coordinator Pursue, the Senior National Coordinator Protect & Prepare, the Director General of CTPHQ, and the Director of Counter Terrorism Resources.
The Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters is responsible for developing policy and strategy and providing a single national voice on behalf of the Counter Terrorism Policing. The CTPHQ also coordinates national projects and programmes, provides administrative and support services to the national network, advises the government on budgets and resourcing for counter terrorism policing in England and Wales.
Within the CTPHQ is the Counter Terrorism Policing Operations Centre serving as the central operational command made up of units that provide operational support to Counter Terrorism Policing. Teams within the Operations Centre are:
The Senior National Coordinator for Pursue is responsible for coordinating counter terrorism investigations. The Senior National Coordinator for Protect & Prepare is responsible for advising and coordinating national Counter Terrorism Policing protection and preparation activities.
Counter Terrorism Policing is made up of eleven regional Counter Terrorism Units (CTUs) and regional Counter Terrorism Intelligence Units (CTIUs) which bring together intelligence, operations and investigation functions around the United Kingdom to help prevent, disrupt and prosecute terrorist activities.[2] Units are regionally based and resourced by regional police forces and are composed of detectives, financial and cyber investigators, community contact teams, intelligence analysts, and forensic specialists. Each CTU provides coordination and specialist support for their respective regions. The CTUs are located as follows:
The Regional Counter Terrorism Intelligence Units are also resourced by the police forces in their respective areas and carry out primarily intelligence gathering operations. The CTIUs are located as follows:[2]
In addition to the regional counter terrorism units, local Special Branches assist in protecting national security and are in some police forces managed and tasked by the regional counter terrorism units.[3]