Police-Community Engagement and Counter-Terrorism:
Developing a regional, national and international hub
UK-US Workshop
Summary Report
December 2010
Dr Basia Spalek
&
Dr Laura Zahra McDonald
Institute of Applied Social Studies
University of Birmingham, UK
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Contents
Introduction 3
Context & Aims 4
Issues and Areas of Interest 5
Impact of Social and Political Contexts 5
Role of Religion, Faith and Theology 6
Community involvement 6
Policing 7
Intervention Work 8
Innovations in countering terrorism 8
Ways Forward 10
Contacts 11
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introduction
Currently, there is little joined-up research, policy and practice in relation to examining the
role of communities in helping to defeat and/or endorse terrorism, nor in relation to the
interface between community and state efforts to counter terrorism.
We are creating a virtual research and resource hub, based at the University of Birmingham,
and connecting interested parties locally, nationally and internationally. The hub will provide
a unique platform for collaboration between researchers, communities, policy makers, police
officers and other practitioners in order to produce applied, policy and practice-focussed
outputs based on rigorous research.
Partners will be an integral part of the research process, and will play an important role in
developing research questions and approaches, ensuring that findings are as relevant as
possible to practitioners, policy makers and local communities.
This report summarizes the outcomes of the inaugural workshop, held on December 9th 2010
and led by Dr Basia Spalek, which brought together experts with diverse knowledge and
experience from around the globe to discuss the development of the hub, with a particular
focus on synergies between Britain and the United States. The diversity of perspectives and
approaches is of particular value to the creation and continuation of this dialogue:
participants came from a multiplicity of national, cultural, religious and professional
backgrounds, adding great richness to the workshop discussion.
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context & aims
The workshop confirmed the necessity for developing knowledge and skills in relation to
police-community engagement and counter-terrorism, the reasoning simple and compelling:
Current social and economic challenges will inevitably contribute to personal and communal
grievances, creating vulnerabilities which may be exploited by terrorist strategists seeking to
encourage and recruit individuals to violent extremism and terror crime.
Developments within counter-terrorism policing indicate a growing confidence to engage
more openly with the public and with communities, to share understandings of the risks and
challenges, and to build partnerships and cooperation across the public sector and within
communities.
Community understandings of state and human securities are increasingly sophisticated. As
counter-terrorism policing looks towards gaining legitimacy and accountability with local
communities, the development of partnership work has become crucial.
The need to connect expertise and share best practices within the counter-terrorism
context requires a mode of exchange, accessible locally, nationally and internationally.
Seeking to seize the moment of opportunity the University of Birmingham will create a
virtual research and resource hub to connect researchers, communities, policy makers, police
officers and other practitioners and their work.
The hub will instigate a programme of applied research that will help inform and empower,
contributing to the development of knowledge relating to community-focussed counter-
terrorism approaches and partnership work.
The hub will act as a body to provide oversight and coordination for research, resource
sharing, events and networking.
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Issues & Areas of Interest
The workshop provided a forum for speakers and participants from both sides of the Atlantic,
and indeed as far afield as Saudi Arabia and Australia, to share their experiences and
expertise in relation to state and community engagement and partnership in countering
terrorism. This section of the report attempts to summarize the key points made during the
day. Perspectives reflect the diversity of contexts in and from which individuals operate
providing a range of invaluable insights that will inform the development of the hub, and act
as pointers to the progression of research questions and future projects.
Impact of Social and Political Contexts
The politicisation of the security agenda, particularly in relation to the
stigmatisation of Muslim communities impacts negatively on actually achieving both
state and human security.
An equality of suffering in relation to Muslims must be recognized in the wider public
sphere. The increasing Islamophobic atmospheres of the UK, the US and Europe, and
rise of anti-Muslim hate crime undermines security in all its forms.
The use of New Terror language and discourse feeds the notion of a ‘war on Islam’,
increasing the sense of alienation and disenfranchisement felt by many young Muslims.
An increasing sense of marginalisation is considered a major driver in the process of
violent radicalisation.
The conflation of counter-terrorism with issues of immigration, cohesion, national
identity and values serves to isolate the very communities with which the state needs
to engage.
‘Hard’ counter-terrorism tactics, such as stop and search, raiding and covert
operations performed without sensitivity to communities undermine the trust,
confidence and willingness of community members to engage.
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Role of Religion, Faith and Theology
Islam – theology, personal belief and identity – plays a fundamental role in the
prevention of violent extremism and in challenging violent extremist ideology.
The role of religious duty and ethical consciousness more broadly are key elements
of individual and community involvement with the security agenda.
A level of unity within Muslim communities and schools of thought, despite
theological and cultural diversity is necessary to counter the divisive discourse of
violent extremism.
The attempt to define moderate’ and ‘radical’ forms of Islam amongst some popular
commentators, academics and policy makers, particularly in relation to Sufi and Salafi
communities undermines a coherent community response to violent extremist
rhetoric.
Jihad is an important and basic Islamic concept and practice: jihad is not terrorism
and terrorism is not jihad. The use of the term in relation to violent extremism
legitimises the actions of terrorists who seek to justify their actions with a cloak of
authenticity and righteousness.
Community involvement
The recognition of community expertise and experiences that currently and
potentially contribute to countering-terrorism is vital.
Good success stories are rarely heard: community involvement and perceptions are
influenced greatly by the popular perceptions and attitudes that the media and
politicians have the power to change.
Inclusive practices are being developed, with partnership between communities and
state institutions increasingly viewed as important. Comparisons between the UK, the
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US and other countries are of great interest, illustrating the importance of wider
context and variation in security objectives.
The empowerment of communities including education and legal support regarding
civil rights does not undermine security; rather it is vital to the functioning of liberal
democracy and the building block of active citizenship.
Policing
Neighbourhood policing and its tradition of community engagement offers valuable
insights for the changing world of counter-terrorism, in which overt work is gaining
increasing credibility as a vital strand in the prevention and disruption of violent
extremism and terror crime.
A cultural shift within counter-terrorism policing in the UK, especially in relation to
covert work and accountability is underway. The impact of these changes deserves
further analysis, documentation and comparison with other contexts, including the US.
Community partnership and buy-in is imperative to successfully identifying and
tackling violent extremism in all its forms.
Policing by consent – the Peelian mantra – is foundational for ensuring the requisite
levels of accountability and legitimacy on which community engagement is built.
Trust and confidence is vital to the creation and maintenance of relationships
between police and communities, and a cornerstone to partnership work.
Proactive policing engenders the trust and support of communities; reactive policing
especially in a counter-terrorism context can create grievance and mistrust which
undermine both state and community efforts to prevent violence.
Protection not persecution: the ways in which counter-terrorism practices are
perceived and carried out by states, their security practitioners, and communities can
be varied. The use of informants for example, may be viewed very differently
according to context.
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Intervention Work
The concepts and processes of ‘radicalisation’ and ‘de-radicalisation’ require
further analysis, with input from practitioners – state and community – as well as
academics.
Risk taking is a part of intervention work with individuals vulnerable to and holding
violent extremist ideologies. Risk aversion, a common characteristic of public
institutions, limits the process of intervention. It is important to explore ways in which
risks may be taken and professional judgements of community workers and police
officers supported.
Measuring success cannot be limited to the gathering of statistical data. A framework
for understanding successful intervention – and prevention more generally – could be
developed for use across a range of contexts.
Innovations in countering terrorism
Emotion, positive and negative, is an area that deserves further analysis, impacting on
a range of aspects within the security agenda, including drivers of violent
radicalisation, counter-radicalisation and de-radicalisation, motivation for community
members and counter-terrorism practitioners, and within the process of community
engagement and partnership work.
Fostering credibility as individuals and organisations working within the counter-
terrorism arena is a complex and important process, requiring further attention.
Notions of pre-crime and the policing of thought in the context of preventative
counter-terrorism and intervention work deserves further analysis, from ethical,
academic and practical perspectives.
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Valuing human relationships and the ability of micro-level, personal interactions to
influence the success of policing in a counter-terrorism context is an important but oft
overlooked aspect of building security which should be more greatly valued as part of
police training.
Risk, trust and a willingness to step beyond official remit are vital elements in the
development of partnership within the counter-terrorism.
Meaningful dialogue and listening to alternative and marginalised voices has not yet
been achieved within many counter-terrorism contexts: the mechanisms with which to
do this, and the gains that dialogue can bring must be further explored and best
practices shared.
Creating safe spaces – physical, emotional, virtual - in which all parties involved in
the issues of terrorism and counter-terrorism including community members,
vulnerable individuals and practitioners can explore issues and have those ‘dangerous
conversations’ so often stifled in the public domain is vital to the development of
innovative and progressive methodologies within counter-terrorism.
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Ways forward
The following steps have been identified as the most pertinent to the project’s development:
The creation of the hub will begin in January 2011, starting with the development of an
interactive website, making use of the new media, technologies and creative approaches
necessary to communicate, innovate and connect.
Partners and interested parties will be kept informed of developments.
Ideas, in particular in relation to continuing to connect interested parties, stimulate debate,
and continue conversations will be collected and explored.
Decisions, for example access to potentially sensitive information, will be made in
consultation with partners, in order to structure and shape the hub to ensure its aims are met
most effectively.
Where appropriate, partners will contribute resources, such as documents, reports and
toolkits which partners may access and learn from.
Further financial backing will be sought in order to ensure the continued development of
the project and related research.
The sustainability of community-led projects and the body of community expertise is vital:
ways in which the hub can contribute to and support this work, including assistance in
locating funding will continue to be high on the agenda.
Partners may contribute to a documentary film aimed at increasing public awareness of
Muslim community engagement and partnership in the UK and US and their contribution to
countering terrorism.
The hub will go live in conjunction with a launch conference in 2011.
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Contacts
The Institute of Applied Social Studies, University of Birmingham
The Institute of Applied Social Studies at the University of Birmingham in England is
recognised as an internationally leading centre for research in social policy and social work.
In the latest Research Assessment Exercise, in 2008, some 95% of its research was
internationally recognised. This included 15% regarded as world-leading, and a further 45% as
internationally excellent. The centre includes a research theme about communities,
securities and social justice.
Dr Basia Spalek: [email protected]
Dr Basia Spalek is a Reader in Communities & Justice within the Institute of Applied Social
Studies at the University of Birmingham. Basia’s research interests lie in community based
approaches to counter-terrorism; young people, policing and security; criminal and social
justice in relation to minorities; and faith/ethnicity and diversity in relation to victimisation.
Basia has led two high-profile AHRC/ESRC funded projects focussing upon exploring
partnership approaches to challenging religiously-endorsed violence involving Muslim groups
and police.
Dr Laura Zahra McDonald: [email protected]
Dr Laura Zahra McDonald is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Applied Social Studies, at the
University of Birmingham. Her research areas include Islam, gender and security, with a
particular interest in the interface of state and community in relation to terrorism and
counter-terrorism. She is keen to continue developing the links between academic research,
grassroots activism and practitioner perspectives, particularly with regards to the impact of
government policy on minority groups in Britain.
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