Terror powers proposals comment

07 June 2007

Following John Reid’s outline of proposals to toughen counter terror laws the Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales Jan Berry said:
 
“We need to balance the protection of the law abiding majority with the very real threat posed by a new breed of terrorists who have no regard for human life and seek to cause maximum devastation.  
 
“Our 24/7 policing report clearly showed that the police service is already struggling to deal with the increasing demands on frontline officers. If we are to efficiently and effectively monitor every suspected terrorist this will have a huge impact on our resources; it’s therefore imperative that forces maintain sufficient numbers of police officers needed to deal with this ever present threat. 
 
“Whilst welcoming steps taken to protect society from terrorism it is right that any additional police powers be proportionate, and that we are completely accountable for our actions. For security reasons it may not always be possible to give a running commentary of all operations, but we must ensure the public understand clearly what we are doing and why we are doing it. This way we can be assured of their support and co-operation.”

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