Staffordshire Police trials new policing tactic at intu Potteries

Project Servator – a policing tactic used to disrupt a range of criminality, including terrorism – will be trialled at intu Potteries from Friday 13 September.

The approach, which sees police, businesses, community partners and the public working together, is already in use in various parts of the UK, including across the whole of London after it was pioneered by the City of London Police in 2014.

Project Servator sees the deployment of both highly visible and plain clothed police officers, supported by other resources such as dogs, firearms officers, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and CCTV.

The deployments are unpredictable. They can happen anywhere and at any time and include police officers specially trained to spot tell-tale signs that someone may be planning or preparing to commit a crime.

The tactics have been developed and tested by security experts at the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) in partnership with the City of London Police and are designed to disrupt hostile reconnaissance - the information-gathering and planning that criminals need to do - whilst providing a reassuring presence for the public.

Project Servator has been successful in gathering intelligence that has assisted Counter Terrorism Units in investigating terrorism. It has also resulted in arrests for various offences and is responsible for removing firearms, knives and drugs from the streets.

We will work in partnership with colleagues from intu’s security team to carry out deployments in and around the centre.

Temporary Chief Inspector Mat Derrick from Staffordshire Police said: “I am really pleased to be trialling Project Servator at intu Potteries. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to talk to visitors to the centre, shoppers and staff about the importance of being vigilant at all times, and to work with them to keep everyone safe and add another layer of security to our existing policing methods.”

Officers will also be talking to the public, including businesses, to raise awareness of Project Servator and encourage people to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious. You can help by reporting any suspicious activity via our website, social media or by calling 101. Alternatively, report it online at gov.uk/ACT. In an emergency, always call 999.

Rachael Jackson, General Manager at intu Potteries said: “We have very close working relationships with the security services and police at a national and local

level so we had no hesitation in working with Staffordshire Police on Project Servator.

 “We take the safety and security of our customers and staff seriously and this project is just another way in which we continually adapt and flex our approach.

"It’s great to have Staffordshire Police in the centre working alongside our own experienced staff to launch such a great initiative.”