The Terror Threat Level

Something happened at the weekend, which got me thinking during my drive home along a sodden M40 today, am I a bit blase about terrorism? Now I don't mean that I don't care about it........I care as much as the next person and have no desire to be blown up just because someone else out there wishes to make a point..........haven't they heard of debate???? Now we all know the old adage 'one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter' and this is so true. I also don't mean that I don't pay attention to the threat, I just don't let it rule or ruin my life. I grew up in the era of Irish terrorism with the IRA amongst others, I remember litter bins being removed from the streets because they posed too good a place to hide a bomb, I remember seeing tanks parked at Heathrow, again because of the Irish threat...........and we just got on with it.


Some time last year the press let on that the UK terror threat level was raised to severe - which means that the terrorist attack is highly likely. I have the feeling it may actually have been raised before the press let the cat out of the bag, I just can't remember when as I basically see it everyday - as soon as I log onto the intranet at work, there it is!!


We also have these ads in the press, telling people that they should not just ignore things if they are suspicious, that they should act and tell someone.............like the police!! They say something along the lines of 'it is probably nothing'. We Brits are very good at not making a fuss, and the national psyche is that someone else will sort it out.........hence us being extolled in the national media not to leave it for someone else.


Now for the majority amongst us we get on with our daily lives without too much trouble and concern, and don't generally worry too much that say, the odd bloke next door, or the strange little clique at work are actually the next terrorist cell in the making who are plotting our demise. But there are some amongst us who do worry about these things and therefore do as the adverts say, they tell the police. So, when you are presented with one of these people............what do you do???


I have previously mentioned that we have to deal with the mentally ill on a almost dally basis, and some of them claim that certain sections of society are behaving strangely. Do we take intelligence reports on all the information they give us.............no, we make a judgement call, give them some platitudes and send them on their way. However, we also get those who are not mentally ill, and believe they have really come across suspicious behaviour. You don't want to be the person who ignored them when it comes out in several years time that the suspects really were a terror cell in the making.


I was presented with one such person at the weekend. Very normal, plausible chap, who had his suspicions about some of his work colleagues. He had already reported this, but had been told if he came across anything else, to come in and tell us. I did wonder if this was all a bit fanciful, but as you never know, I arranged for him to return the following day, and for details to be taken. I spoke to the sergeant about it all later, and basically this poor chap is paranoid, and the terror threat is starting to rule his life.


This then got me thinking..............I am aware of the threat level, I am on the look out for threats......left luggage etc, but it certainly doe not rule my life...............so am I too blase about it?