North Yorkshire Police has released a film to mark the 50th deployment of Project Servator since its launch.
The 4 and a half minute film shows how the project, which launched in North Yorkshire in April 2017, deploys teams of both highly visible and covert police officers to deny, detect and deter criminal and terrorist activity in crowded places.
It also demonstrates how other resources such as dogs, firearms, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), air support, mounted officers and CCTV cameras are used alongside other key partners such as the York Minster Police, the Royal Military Police and local businesses’ security teams to enhance the tactics.
The force has deployed the initiative as ‘business-as-usual’ on 50 separate occasions since its launch. These deployments have been unpredictable and intelligence-led by design and have resulted in arrests being made for thefts and drug offences during patrols and vehicle checks.
Key to the success of Project Servator is also the support of people living, working and visiting the county to be extra eyes and ears for the police. Through Project Servator officers have had more opportunities to engage with the public which has also seen an increase in reports of suspicious activity from both businesses and communities where Project Servator has been deployed.
The film is also intended to highlight the important role that the public and local businesses have to play by reporting any suspicious behaviour to help make it even harder for criminals to succeed.
Superintendent Mark Grange, who appears in the film and is North Yorkshire Police’s Operational Policing Training Lead and Strategic Lead for Project Servator, said:
We have been deploying Project Servator in busy town centres and crowded places since we launched the initiative in April 2017.
We have produced a short film to depict how Project Servator draws on a number of tactics to enhance our existing tactics in a bid to deny, detect and deter a wide range of criminality whilst reassuring the public.
For those who are not aware of it the film also aims to introduce businesses and the local community to the concept of Project Servator to help to explain the vital role that they have to play.
Today marks our 50th Project Servator deployment and demonstrates our commitment to continue rolling it out on a regular, but unpredictable basis, to keep our county safe and secure.
Chief Inspector Fiona Willey, of North Yorkshire Police’s Proactive Policing Command and Tactical Lead for Project Servator who also features in the film, added:
“We hope that the new Project Servator film reassures the public that we are working together with partners, businesses and the communities that we serve to deny, detect and deter a broad spectrum of criminality, everything from pickpocketing to terrorism.
“The film seeks to demonstrate how Project Servator combines effective police deployments with increased levels of vigilance within our communities to keep everyone safe.
“We continue to call on the public to be vigilant and to report anything that they deem to be suspicious immediately by telling a police officer, by calling 101 or by calling the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.
“In an emergency you should always call 999.
