Police forces in London and Manchester will receive an additional £5 million to increase patrols around places of worship, the Home Office has announced, amid “record highs” in anti-Muslim hatred.
Funding will be initially focused on supporting communities in London and Manchester, with the Metropolitan Police Service and Greater Manchester Police expected to step up patrols to stop potential “terrorist threats” and reconnaissance.
It comes during a period of increased concern for some communities across the country as both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate crime have reached record highs.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the extra funding would help ensure police have the necessary resources “to step up patrols, protect communities, and keep people safe in the places where they live, work and worship.”
“At a time of heightened concern for some communities, it is vital that we step up our support. Project Servator has a proven track record of stopping criminals and terrorists through highly visible, unpredictable deployments that vary in time and location, deterring those planning harm and reassuring the public. This new funding will back the police with the resources they need to step up patrols, protect communities, and keep people safe in the places where they live, work and worship.”
The initiative is linked to Project Servator, a policing strategy that deploys specially trained officers to identify suspicious behaviour and prevent serious crime. These operations can involve both uniformed and plain-clothes personnel.
Met Police Commander Andy Featherstone stressed that authorities take such threats seriously, stating: “Hate crime, of any kind, has no place in our communities and we take all reports incredibly seriously.”
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Matt Jukes Deputy Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police Service said: “Our communities are the heart of policing, and everything we do is focused on keeping people safe and feeling protected where they live, work and worship. Servator deployments are an important way we deliver that, by placing specialist officers at key locations to deter criminal activity and provide visible reassurance.
“In recent months, we have increased our presence around faith and community sites, strengthened the way we support victims and investigate hate crime, and continued to build strong relationships with faith leaders and local representatives. We welcome this funding, which will help us go further in working alongside communities and safeguarding what matters most to them.”
This new funding forms part of a package of measures to protect communities across the country, including a record £73.4 million in funding for protective security at Jewish, Muslim, and other faith sites.
