Association Voice
Constant
vigilance
Steve Neal, group operations manager at the NEC &
chair of the AEV Security Working Group, provides an
update on the UK’s security situation
I
“We strive to make
event security
as transparent
and effective as
possible”
56 — May
t’s our responsibility, as AEV Security Working
Group members, to closely monitor security
issues affecting the event industry, and venues in
particular. We liaise regularly with anti-terror and
law enforcement agencies to help provide a clear
picture of the security landscape as it pertains to
our industry, and provide guidance and advice on
addressing specific security issues.
Although the last terrorist attack in the UK was
on 31 December 2018, where there was an incident
at Manchester Victoria Train Station, the national
threat level remains ‘severe’, indicating that an
attack is highly likely.
It’s no secret that the UK’s threat level has
been elevated for some time, and whilst there
are no current, specific threats to an event or
venue, attacks can happen at any time or place
without warning. British security services and
law enforcement agencies are investigating, at
the time of writing, over 700 live cases. MI5, the
British counter-intelligence and security agency,
reports that it has over 3,000 subjects of specific
interest, which has risen from 600 in 2017.
The threat from so-called ‘Islamic State’ has
changed since the territorial defeat of the group,
and the concern is that soldiers returning to
Europe and the UK from the Caliphate may have
gained skills and networks that could be deployed
against a range of targets. Extreme right-wing
terrorism has been identified as a rising threat
and is expected to employ similar methods to
its Islamist counterparts. At least four extreme
right-wing alleged plots have been defeated by MI5
since March 2017, compared with 13 Islamist plots.
Extreme right-wing terrorism differs from
Islamist terrorism in that perpetrators are more
likely to target ethnic and sexual minorities
as well as politicians, broadening the range of
potential targets.
Relatively recent events have demonstrated
that new security threats can literally pop up at
any time, as evidenced by the closure of Gatwick
Airport before Christmas due to a drone, or
unmanned aerial vehicle, being flown within the
airport perimeter. The capabilities of even basic
consumer drones mean that they can now be
used to create disorder by flying in the vicinity
of venues and crowded spaces. This is clearly
something that venues and events must be
prepared for.
Countering drones in built-up areas remains
extremely challenging from both a technical and
legal perspective.
This year saw a new sectarian terrorist threat
with the distribution of small improvised
explosive devices in the post. It is suspected
that dissident Irish republicans are responsible
for sending them, and these incidents serve as a
reminder that even seemingly dormant threats
can erupt at any time.
As chair of the AEV Security Working Group,
I’m very proud of the group’s work. We strive to
make event security as transparent and effective
as possible, whilst finding strategies to mitigate
risks and highlight relevant threats.
As always, our watchword is vigilance. We
need to be aware of the current threat level and
remain alert to unusual or suspicious behaviour.
The nature of any event, bringing people together,
makes it a target for terror activity, and it’s our job
as venues to ensure we are communicating best
security practice throughout our organisation,
from top to bottom, and build security by default
into our working culture as much as possible.