Policing 2007 1(3):316-326; doi:10.1093/police/pam040
Copyright © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press.
Continuing Discussion - Opinion |
Continuing the Discussion on Policing Terrorism—Issue 1
Winning Hearts and Minds: Managing Community Tensions
Martin Baines*
* Director of Pacalis Associates Ltd and former Inspector with West Yorkshire Police. E-mail: m.baines@pacalis.co.uk
Dr Martin Baines is a Director of Pacalis Associates Ltd, a UK based international consultancy company. A former Inspector with the West Yorkshire Police, he was Bradford's Community and Race Relations Officer between 1996 and 2005, responsible for managing and minimising community tensions in the district. In 2001 he was appointed a member of Lord Hermon Ouseley's review team, which examined the future of race relations in the Bradford district, and contributed to the National Community Cohesion agenda. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal in 2004 and an honorary doctorate from Bradford University in 2005.
In this article, Dr Baines examines how the London bombings of July 2005, the recent terrorist attacks in London and Scotland, and the emergence of ‘home-grown suicide bombers’, have once again placed centre stage the relationship between the police and the Muslim communities in the UK. The winning of hearts and minds is now a key component of the government's strategy to defeat the terrorist threat.
The experience of the West Yorkshire Police in Bradford demonstrates the need for long-term strategic planning by police forces throughout the UK in order to develop their capacity for conflict resolution, conflict prevention, and peace building. It also illustrates that by working across different sectors, both private and public, in conjunction with local communities and local authorities, that a difference can be made in potentially reducing levels of tension and minimising the conflict that takes place.
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Introduction
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The July 2005 London bombings, the recent terrorist attacks
in London and Scotland, and the emergence of ‘home-grown
suicide bombers’ have once again been placed centre stage
the relationship between the police and the Muslim communities
in the UK. The winning of hearts and minds is now a key component
of the government's strategy to defeat terrorist threat. However,
the investigative role of the police and security services in
tackling domestic terrorism can often be a source of potential
conflict between the police and large sections of the Muslim
population of this country. The outcome of police operations
can often lead to misunderstandings, which in turn have a negative
impact on police community relations. Yet, now more than ever
before, the police need the trust and confidence of all communities,
and particularly, the trust of the Muslim community in order
to tackle terrorism.
It is no surprise, therefore, that community . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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Community engagement
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Community intervention
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West Yorkshire Police experience
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Community intervention cell
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The 2001 Bradford riots
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The Bradford Police Model—conflict prevention and managing community tensions
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Civic network
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London bombings 7 July 2005
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Developing a conflict prevention strategy
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