Counter Terrorism Risk Management

Following the unfortunate (devastating) incident on 22 May 2017 at the Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert, the Government was lobbied to produce legislation to mitigate against such an attack occurring again. Figen Murray’s son Martyn Hett died in the attack, and she was shocked to discover that there was very little or no thought to Counter Terrorism planning at the venue.

Figen together with other family members championed Martyn’s Law, or officially titled “UK Protect Duty” which calls for “a legal requirement for public places (or publicly accessible places) to ensure preparedness for and protection from terrorist attacks.” The following points from the Protect Duty are to be  made law for any Publicly Accessible Spaces (A publicly accessible location is defined as any place to which the public or any section of the public has access, on payment or otherwise, as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission), Events, Local Authorities and Private Businesses:

• Engage with freely available counter- terrorism advice and training
• Conduct vulnerability assessments of their operating places and spaces
• Mitigate the risks created by the vulnerabilities
• Put in place a counter-terrorism plan
• Requirement for local authorities to plan for the threat of terrorism
• Counter Terrorism Risk Management (CTRM) Services – The roll of a CTRM is to create detailed plans to mitigate any publicly accessible space against terrorist attack.

‘Protect Duty’ went into public consultation in 2021 and the Counter- Terrorism and Sentencing Act (2021) – has been granted Royal Assent on 29th April.

Ballium Protective Security Services can supply Counter Terrorism Risk Managers trained to university degree standard similar to the police CT SecCo’s to complete the risk assessment for events and the private sector, and work to supply all the necessary mitigation available to assist in planning and running a safe event or publicly accessible space.