Project Griffin started life in 2004 with the
City of London Police in association with the business
community within the City. This was the beginning of what
has now become an international partnership to engage, encourage
and enable members to work in partnership with the police to deter,
detect and counter terrorist activity and crime. It has been a
resounding success impacting positively on the relationship between
the Police Service and the business sector.
Project Griffin represents an alliance that assists in the fight
against terrorists whether international or domestic. It aims to
work with people who are involved in some way with the safety and
security of a building, business or area and to empower them to
recognise and report suspicious activity and behaviour to the
police.
Project Griffin consists of three strands:
- A counter terrorism awareness day which helps
people to think about their own procedures and processes for
dealing with certain types of incident during times of
emergency.
- A periodic communication product to the Griffin registered
staff by newsletter.
- Griffin trained personnel being utilised for
'Emergency Deployment' to staff cordons during a major incident
investigation.
All attendees will receive the awareness training from police
specialists providing up to the minute information on how to
maximise their security contribution towards the community they
work in. This will include detailed intelligence on the work of the
Counter Terrorism Branch (formerly known as Special Branch),
Hostile Reconnaissance, suicide bombers and how to assist should
the worst happen. Trust and confidence in the ability of the Police
to keep people safe will increase with the closer working
partnerships.
On successful completion of the Awareness Day, each participant
will receive a certificate that is signed by the Detective
Superintendent Andrew Mitchell, Director of Intelligence and
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Cleworth, Head of Counter
Terrorism Branch, Cheshire Constabulary. They will also be provided
with a lapel badge to be worn whilst on duty as a discrete overt
indication of their participation in Project Griffin.
A periodic newsletter will be sent out to all key stakeholders.
The purpose of this is to share appropriate counter terrorism and /
or crime information.
The intention is that this information will assist Griffin
personnel to support law enforcement in the prevention and
detection of terrorist activity and crime. By making them aware of
current information and intelligence, as well as issues or
incidents affecting their particular area.
Personnel deployed under the auspice of Project Griffin will
wear yellow tabards, with the Griffin logo on the front and the
wording 'Cordon Support' on the rear of the tabard. These are only
to be used when requested by the police and not as daily issue. The
Griffin volunteers will remain under the management of their parent
organisation. Griffin responders would discharge their
responsibility to their employer's in respect of their duty to
their place of work, only thereafter having been redirected to
assist police by their employers, they would assist police to
'clear' the public away from danger toward safe cordon lines.
The success of Project Griffin relies on building relationships
and sharing information. This engages and empowers participants,
enabling them to become a highly effective part of the extended
police family.
To email the team, please use the following email address
ctsa@cheshire.pnn.police.uk