Inside Counter Terrorism Policing

In this episode, we meet Alex – a national security lawyer who followed his gut to leave life as an unfulfilled city lawyer to start a legal career in public service with the police.  Being a lawyer in policing is complex, particularly in counter terrorism where the stakes are incredibly high.   We hear what it’s like to secure warrants for raids, lead policing through high-profile inquests, as well as the role of a legal team in cases such as the ISIS Beatles and the Salisbury Attacks.   Could you do Alex’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.       With 19 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2020, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.     You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force website.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we meet Grace, who started her civilian career in the police as a 17-year-old finance officer.   She now works in a specialist unit within Counter Terrorism Policing which tackles online terrorist content and takes reports from the public. We hear how her team used intelligence from a social media user in the UK, to prevent a deadly attack overseas and why it’s important that the public report their concerns.   Grace’s career in counter terrorism has spanned some of the defining moments in the UK’s history, including the response to the 2017 attacks that rocked London and Manchester.   Now, she works alongside everyone else in Counter Terrorism Policing to try and stop attacks like that from happening again.   Could you do Grace’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.      With 19 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2020, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.     You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force website.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content warning: this episode contains references to death and sexual abuse which some listeners might find distressing.In our eighth episode, career detective Jenna talks about taking on one of the toughest jobs in Counter Terrorism Policing, making decisions about convicted terrorists living in our community.  Jenna swapped village life for policing the streets of London working on high-profile cases and incidents including the Grenfell Tower fire, and the Jimmy Saville historic sexual abuse case.  We hear how those harrowing cases helped shape her career and the daily decisions she makes about people convicted of some of the worst crimes imaginable.   Terrorists living amongst us is a difficult reality, and Jenna lifts the lid on what it’s like to manage those risks and how she supports her team to make the right decisions at the right time.    Could you do Jenna’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.    With 19 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2020, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.     You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force website.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content warning: this episode contains references to death and suicide which some listeners might find distressing. This episode introduces you to Tom, the Head of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) in London.  With his job title, you might expect there’s some risk involved - but this wasn’t new to Tom, who spent two decades in the Army before joining policing. He completed tours in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, leaving the military with a gallantry medal under his belt.   In this episode, he talks about what it’s like to defuse explosives in warzones, and the pressure he’s felt during his career.   Leaning on his battlefield experience, he now leads the team at Counter Terrorism Policing who responded to attacks at Parsons Green and Fishmongers Hall.   Could you do Tom’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.      With 19 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2020, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.     You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force websites.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, meet Clara, one of our brilliant International CTP Liaison Officers who is based in a hostile location overseas.   After moving to London to be a dancer, a burglary inspired a complete change in direction, pirouetting from performing to policing. She’s had some fascinating roles, having worked as a homicide detective and a hostage negotiator, and offers a powerful insight into what it’s like on difficult days in the job.   She talks about the importance of international relationships in her current role, the diplomacy required, and the ‘pinch herself’ moments like getting through check-points in Chinooks.    Join us as we take you behind the scenes of what it’s really like to work in one of the most secretive parts of Counter Terrorism Policing.  Could you do Clara’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.      With 19 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2020, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.      You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force website.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to tackle terrorists as your day job?  In the new season of Inside Counter Terrorism Policing, we take you behind the scenes of some of policing’s toughest roles revealing the untold stories of people working to keep the country safe.    The good stuff, the bad stuff and what it’s really like to work in national security.   Subscribe and stay tuned for brand new weekly episodes from Thursday 12 March. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode, our guest talks about how she followed family footsteps into the fire service, working her way up the ranks and directing major incident response.  She’s now a group commander with the London Fire Brigade, overseeing around 100 fire officers who are charged with keeping London safe.  She’s also a National Interagency Liaison Officer, or NILO, a role that works incredibly closely with Counter Terrorism Policing.  Could you do Liz's job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.   With 43 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2017, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.   You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force or fire service website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our final episode, our guest has spent the last 40 years working in one of the most specialised areas of policing and one of the most familiar to crime drama fans. Now one of Counter Terrorism Policing’s most senior forensics experts, she's honed her skills investigating crime scenes across the UK and, as she describes it, giving voice to those who no longer have one.  Her entry into policing wasn't easy. As the daughter of a miner, she spent a long time hiding what she did for a living. Could you do Cassandra’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.   With 43 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2017, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.  You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force website.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our fourth episode, our guest spent the first part of her career in a classroom and is a great example of when career changes go right.  After a successful teaching career and some advice about her job application skills from a friend, she joined counter terrorism policing in 2023.  Now she works as an intelligence assessor, which means she plays a crucial role in turning information from the public into intelligence to stop terrorist activity.   Heidi talks about how the STAR method helped her interview for a job in Counter Terrorism Policing. If you’re interested in learning more, you can find out more on gov.uk: The STAR method | National Careers Service Could you do Heidi’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.   With 43 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2017, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.  You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force website.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our third episode, our guest has had an incredible career spanning almost 20 years in policing. Currently a Counter Terrorism Senior Investigating Officer working on high profile terrorism investigations and incidents, she started out in frontline policing moving through a range of truly fascinating but challenging teams and roles including fugitive units, CID, and offender management. Now in one of the most intense roles in policing, she's responsible for leading some of the most complex investigations into terrorist activity in the UK.  Content warning: the episode contains a reference to animal cruelty that some listeners may find upsetting. Could you do Jess’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.   With 43 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2017, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.  You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our second episode, we hear from a woman who secured a degree in sports science and was headed for the physiotherapy room when she had a change of heart and direction. Applying successfully to be a police officer, she's had an interesting journey from the frontline to counter terrorism policing. Working in prisons, serious and organised crime, and intelligence, before landing in CT policing at an airport. She now works in the counter terrorism policing’s analytical teams, where she's an expert in extreme right-wing terrorism and recently helped secure the banning of Terrorgram, now an illegal terrorist organisation in the UK.   Content warning: the episode contains a reference to infanticide that some listeners may find upsetting. Could you do Jo’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.   With 43 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2017, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.  You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force websites.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first episode you will hear from someone who can never discuss a lot of what she does. She has worked in cybercrime teams tackling sexual predators, then moved into counter terrorism surveillance. Today she works in human intelligence, working as a handler of covert sources. It’s her job to identify, recruit and train human covert sources, who she describes as the ‘unsung heroes of stopping terrorist attacks’. Join us as we take you behind the scenes of what it’s really like to work in one of the most secretive parts of Counter Terrorism Policing. Could you do Emma’s job? We are always looking for people to join our team and our mission to protect the public from terrorism.     With 43 late-stage terror attacks stopped since 2017, the need to recruit incredible people has never been greater.   You can find current vacancies here, and on your local police force website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming soon: Inside Counter Terrorism Policing. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to tackle terrorists as your day job? This International Women’s Day, we’re taking you behind the scenes and revealing the untold stories of women across the country working in Counter Terrorism Policing. The good stuff, the bad and their advice about working in policing. Subscribe and stay tuned for weekly episodes from 6 March.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.