TALK ON COMBATING RADICALISATION AND EXTREMISM

THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL TALK BY PC MIKE AARTSEN FROM NEW SCOTLAND YARD'S COUNTER-TERRORISM COMMAND(SO15) ON "COMBATING RADICALISATION AND EXTREMISM".HE WILL GIVE FRESH INSIGHTS INTO WHAT THE METROPOLITAN POLICE & HOME OFFICE ALONG WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR POLICING AND CRIME(MOPAC)HAVE PRESCRIBED IN THEIR "PREVENT" STRATEGY TO ENSURE WE ARE SERIOUSLY ADDRESSING ISSUES WHICH THREATEN THE SAFETY OF OUR NATION.EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BRING BEST OUTCOMES.

YOU WILL APPRECIATE AFTER THE CHILLING SCENES WITNESSED ON THE STREETS OF WOOLWICH IN MAY AND THE HORRENDOUS MURDER OF DRUMMER LEE RIGBY WHICH SENT SHOCK-WAVES WORLD-WIDE THAT WE HAVE RE-DOUBLED OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE OUR YOUTHS IN PARTICULAR ARE NOT LURED INTO ACTIVITIES LEADING TO SUCH ATROCITIES.PROTECTING THEM AND MAKING SURE WE DO NOT ALLOW THOSE HELL -BENT ON DESTROYING THE WAY OF LIFE WE CHERISH DEARLY IS THE JOB NOT JUST OF THE POLICE BUT OF EVERY RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN.

REMEMBER IT IS COMMUNITIES WHO DEFEAT TERRORISTS AND CRIMINALS.WE HAVE A COLLECTIVE DUTY TO HELP THE POLICE TO KEEP LONDON SAFE.FOR THIS WE MUST GET OUR HUGELY  DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND FAITH GROUPS TO ROUND UP COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE.

ONE IMPORTANT POINT TO BEAR IN MIND.NO COMMUNITY IS IMMUNE FROM BEING RADICALISED OR  ENGAGING IN EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES.IT IS UNEQUIVOCALLY NOT LIMITED TO ANY SINGLE COMMUNITY--- EVEN THOUGH MANY WRONGLY PERCEIVE THIS TO BE THE CASE.WE HAVE TO STOP BEING IN DENIAL AND FACE UP TO THE TRUTH.TERRORISTS HAVE NO CONSCIENCE,RELIGION OR SCRUPLES.THEY ARE SIMPLY COLD-BLOODED CRIMINALS.

YOU WILL ALSO RECALL AT OUR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ON APRIL 15 WE INTRODUCED YOU TO OUR NEW BOROUGH COMMANDER,SIMON OVENS AND CHIEF INSPECTOR CLAIRE SMART,CHARGED WITH BOROUGH-WIDE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS.WE ALSO HAD AN INTERESTING TALK FROM PC SONIA ONG ON A SUCCESSFUL POLICE INITIATIVE--"MOTHERS AGAINST GANGS" WHICH HAS BEEN RUNNING IN HARROW FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.WE NEED MANY MORE COMMUNITIES TO JOIN AND LEARN HOW TO KEEP THEIR YOUTHS OUT OF HARM'S WAY.OFTEN GANG MEMBERS GRADUATE TO OTHER CRIMES AND ARE PERFECT TARGETS FOR RADICALISATION.

FORTUNATELY,HARROW'S YOUTHS ARE ,GENERALLY SPEAKING, A GOOD BUNCH BUT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BE COMPLACENT AND ASSUME THIS WILL REMAIN SO.YOUTHS ARE VULNERABLE TARGETS SO IT IS OUR DUTY TO SAFEGUARD THEM IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.WE HAVE STREET PASTORS WHO ENGAGE WITH OUR YOUTHS AND HELPED OUR POLICE AND PARTNERS KEEP HARROW SAFE DURING THE LONDON RIOTS TWO SUMMERS BACK.

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AS MANY YOUTHS AS WELL AS PARENTS,GRAND-PARENTS,TEACHERS,PROFESSIONALS AND ANYBODY WHO CARES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE.SPREAD THE WORD,FAR AND WIDE.THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.

IN ADDITION,HARROW BOROUGH COMMANDER,CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT SIMON OVENS,WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE POLICE PERFORMANCE STATISTICS AND ALSO UPDATE US ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS POLICING-WISE IN LONDON AS WELL AS IN HARROW.HE HAS ASPIRATIONS TO MAKE HARROW THE LEADING LONDON BOROUGH SAFETY-WISE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS.LET US GET OUR HEADS DOWN AND WORK TOGETHER AND GIVE OUR TOTAL SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS A REALITY.HE MEANS BUSINESS.

SINCE HIS ARRIVAL SIMON OVENS HAS SPENT MUCH TIME MEETING WITH OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITYAND FAITH GROUPS.WE MUST NEVER UNDER-ESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF NURTURING THE RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE BUILT UP WITH BLOOD,SWEAT AND TEARS TO KEEP HARROW A FRIENDLY AND COHESIVE COMMUNITY.THIS IS "ONGOING WORK".

JUST FANTASTIC TO KNOW THAT ABU QATADA,AT LONG LAST, IS DUE TO LEAVE ON SUNDAY,7 JULY --AFTER YEARS SPENT IN THE UK--FOR JORDAN.HARROW IS RELIEVED HE WILL FINALLY BE LEAVING OUR SHORES.HOME SECRETARY,THERESA MAY DESERVES MUCH PRAISE FOR HER CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS TO EXTRADITE HIM.

YOU WILL ALSO REMEMBER IT IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEVASTATING LONDON BOMBINGS OF 2007 WHICH HAVE LEFT INDELIBLE SCARS IN OUR MEMORIES.WE PRAY FOR ALL THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES SO TRAGICALLY AND FOR THOSE LEFT GRIEVING.LET US PLEDGE THAT WE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP LONDON SAFE FROM ENVIOUS EYES.

I URGE YOU TO PLEASE VISIT THE MOPAC WEB-SITE AND SEE WEB-CASTS OF THE MEETINGS AT CITY HALL.IN PARTICULAR,THE POLICE & CRIME COMMITTEE MEETING OF 27 JUNE MAKES COMPELLING WATCHING.YOU WILL GLEAN FIRST-HAND INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED SETTING UP OF SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD BOARDS AND ALSO HEAR FROM COMMISSIONER BERNARD HOGAN-HOWE WHAT STEPS THE MET POLICE ARE TAKING TO ADDRESS ALLEGATIONS OF" SMEARING "DOREEN LAWRENCE AND HER FAMILY ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.HE IS EXTREMELY KEEN THAT PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE BE RESTORED.HE HAS ALSO SPOKEN ABOUT THE ROLL-OUT OF TASERS IN MORE LONDON BOROUGHS AND HIS CONCERNS.

PLEASE ALSO LOOK AT THE WEB-CAST OF MET POLICE COMMISSIONER HOGAN-HOWE DATED 3 JULY AND HEAR WHAT LONDONERS CONCERNS ARE ABOUT POLICING THEIR CAPITAL CITY.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST,PLEASE FOLLOW CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE GIVEN OUT BY YOUR LOCAL COPS AND STAY SAFE.

A VERY HAPPY RAMADAN TO ALL THOSE WHO WILL BE CELEBRATING AFTER A RIGOROUS MONTH OF FASTING.

PLEASE MAKE SURE JULY 8 IS IN YOUR DIARY AND THAT WE SEE MANY OF YOU THERE.HELP US TO MAKE HARROW NUMBER ONE AGAIN!