National security is being endangered by cuts to local policing, which amount to a potential disaster in the fight to stop Islamist and neo-Nazi attacks, according to one of Britain’s leading counter-terrorism police officers. Neil Basu, senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism, told the Guardian that two decades of progress in neighbourhood policing were at risk and that withdrawing police on the ground would mean losing the relationships and trust that yield crucial intelligence. The country had to build confidence and trust among communities and redouble efforts to prevent young people from turning to terrorism. For me, that is a national security issue.”Asked if the funding cuts the government enacted as part of its austerity drive were having national security consequences, Basu said: “As the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism the ‘local to global’ thing is incredibly important for me.”“Local to global” refers to the idea that Britain’s counter-terrorism machine can connect communities, via neighbourhood officers, with specialist police officers and counter-terrorism agencies in the UK and overseas. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cressida Dick, Met police commissioner, has warned that police cuts will hit efforts to tackle violent crime.

Source: The Guardian November 10, 2017 20:00 UTC